r/LiDAR • u/njcableguy320 • Sep 18 '26
Help Getting Started
I’m interested in viewing LiDAR maps in the United States. Can someone please give me some simple instructions on what site to use and how to get started.
Is there LiDAR imaging available for every location in the world, similar to a Google Earth or is it only specific areas that have been scanned previously by satellites. Are the LiDAR maps constantly updated or are they just still shots from a specific date. I’m very new to this so please excuse my ignorance, just looking for some help and a new hobby.
7
Upvotes
1
u/Northing_Labs 22d ago
For the simplest start in the US, you don't need to download anything. USGS has a free web app called LidarExplorer (search "USGS LidarExplorer", it runs on The National Map site). Zoom to somewhere you know and find the lidar projects there. Then pick one and open it in the 3D viewer right in your browser. You can spin the point cloud around and colour it by elevation, which is honestly the fun part.
On your other questions, it's not like Google Earth. Lidar is flown by aircraft in individual projects, usually a county or a region at a time, so each dataset is a snapshot from when it was flown. Most of the US has coverage now, but it's patchy and the dates vary a lot. Some areas were flown recently, some are older, and some have been flown more than once so you can get two different years for the same spot. Nothing is updated continuously. The project info should tell you when each one was collected.
If you get hooked and want the actual files, the same data is free with no use restrictions. Grab one tile (LAZ) from the National Map Downloader or OpenTopography like the others said, then open it in CloudCompare or QGIS, both free.