Once a year, thousands of white spider lilies blanket the Catawba River’s rocky rapids at Landsford Canal State Park. From mid-May to mid-June, kayakers flock to Catawba, S.C., to paddle through the largest known strand of rocky shoals spider lilies.
The lily is rare and predominately found in the Southeast – but what if you can’t kayak or visit during the bloom?
At the park's visitor center, you can experience paddling through the lilies with virtual reality. Duke Energy helped fund the virtual reality experience to make nature more accessible. South Carolina State Parks created similar virtual reality experiences for a 3.6-mile hike at Table Rock Mountain and a lighthouse climb at Hunting Island State Park.
Watch the video below for a look at the lilies in bloom.