How to download LiDAR data from the USGS Earth Explorer?

To download LiDAR data from the USGS Earth Explorer, first, check “show where LiDAR is available.” Second, define your area of interest by following the instructions on-screen (hold down the Ctrl key). Third, in the right menu panel, open the “Lidar within AOI” drop-down and click on the “LiDAR Point Cloud (LPC)” folder. Finally, select download the individual LiDAR (LAS) files that you need from the folder. The map viewer will show where each tile is relative to your area of interest.

This method works well for GIS applications, but for CAD users, there are limitations. CAD users often need LiDAR extracted to custom size and converted into different file formats (e.g., DWG). For CAD applications, Equator offers an alternate approach for accessing LiDAR. Please refer to this article for more information, or this article on how to import a laz file to Civil 3D.

To learn more about availability and LiDAR quality levels in your area, refer to the LiDAR coverage map.

How to download LiDAR from USGS Earth Explorer

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