PICKENS, S.C. (AP) — A virtual reality project is letting people experience a tough hike at a South Carolina state park in a matter of minutes and without taking a step.

Many people aren't able to make the strenuous 3.6-mile trek that climbs 2,000 feet to the top of Table Rock Mountain because of mobility or health restrictions, State Park Service Director Paul McCormick told The Post and Courier. The five-minute virtual reality experience, the first of its kind for the state's parks, lets them take it in from a chair in the visitor center.

They can see the waterfall at Carrick Creek, a shelte...