An Upstate state park is using technology to make its trails + views more accessible than ever. Table Rock State Park (~40 min. from Greenville) recently unveiled new virtual reality technology that allows visitors to experience a 3.6-mile trek and 2,000 ft. ascent – all from a chair in the visitor center.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGCUxbpw_L4&feature=emb_title
Using a virtual reality headset, visitors will have an immersive 360º experience of what it looks like to take the trail to the top of Table Rock Mountain. If you’ve never tried on a VR headset – that essentially means once you have the goggles on, if you tilt your head up you’ll see the sky or a canopy of trees. Look down and you’ll see the dirt trail or rocks by a pool of water.
The experience centers on four of the trail’s key spots: the waterfall at Carrick Creek, a shelter at the halfway point, Governor’s Rock + the vista from the top of the mountain.
The use of this type of technology in a park setting is fairly rare. It also serves to make the park experience more attainable for people who may not be able to make the strenuous hike due to health or mobility restrictions.
Fast facts:
- The virtual reality project has been in the works for about a year.
- It was funded by a donation to the park made in memory of a frequent Table Rock hiker, Tom Presnell, along with a contribution by BMW.
- BFG, a Bluffton-based marketing agency, was the producer.
- The ~5 minute experience took ~15 hours to film.
- To capture all angles, they used a spherical camera that includes six individual cameras.
Ready to give it a try? The virtual reality experience is included with park admission ($6 for adults, see full pricing info here). The experience is for visitors 13+.
There are four headsets at the visitor center + park staff are working to finalize details regarding how and when visitors will have access to them. That information will be posted online soon. In the meantime, make sure you call ahead to make sure someone trained in the technology will be on-site the day of your visit.
