Let President Obama take you on a VR tour of Yosemite

For those who have never been to Yosemite National Park viewing pictures of its stately trees can't quite match feeling like you've stepped inside those photos.

It also can't hurt that your guide for this virtual trip is President Barack Obama.

Through the Ages: President Obama celebrates America’s National Parks is a virtual reality project aimed at transporting people to one of America's biggest National Parks -- in honor of the National Park Service's centennial, which is Thursday. The 11-minute VR film is a partnership between the White House, Oculus Studios, National Geographic and VR production team Felix & Paul.

Through the Ages transports the viewer around various breathtaking spots in Yosemite. Much of the film's relaxed pacing lets you really enjoy the natural landscapes that surround you, including Yosemite landmarks like El Capitan, the Cathedral Rocks, Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Falls. You'll even visit the Merced River -- and then forge it by canoe.

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Each view is as dazzling as the ones before it. In a giant park full of marvels, you still need to find compelling shots that work well in virtual reality.

"We spent a lot of time thinking like the cameras like they're a real person visiting these environments," Félix Lajeunesse, half of Felix & Paul, told Mashable. "It's a character that will literally sit inside the scene at some point. We remove from our mind of the sense of a film camera, and instead ask 'where do I sit the viewer? Does it make sense to sit the viewer here?'"

The White House collaborated with Oculus and Felix & Paul since the idea's inception, suggesting the film center around Obama's trip to Yosemite in June. Not only does the film feature his narration, but there are also shots of the Obamas visiting the park, and the president getting some history lessons from a park ranger.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Along with hitting on the Yosemite's long history -- the park was founded in 1890, predating the Park Service -- the film also talks about its future. Conservation is an important message, too, and the concern for climate change's impact on the park and its animal and plant inhabitants.

Through the Ages: President Obama celebrates America’s National Parks is available now through the Gear VR and as a 360 video on Facebook. It will soon come to the Oculus Rift store as well.

And if you need more convincing of how dorky Obama is about the endeavor, here's the president experiencing the VR film in the White House.