Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of, a target by illuminating the target with light often using pulses from a laser. Currently this is the most accurate elevation dataset UGRC has and bare-earth DEMs/DTMs and first-return DSMs are available for most of Utah.

UGRC has partnered with various agencies over the years to acquire many Lidar datasets with the goal of statewide coverage. Visit Raster.utah.gov , opens in a new tab to explore and download all collections of Lidar derived bare-earth DEMs/DTMs and first-return DSMs elevation models. The Utah Lidar Coverage , opens in a new tab application is also available to explore all Lidar projects that have been proposed, are in progress, or completed in Utah. Both applications can get you to a project specific webpage for more information about each project including reports, metadata, and vector data associated with each project.

With a few exceptions projects have a UTM NAD83(2011) zone 12 north meters NAVD88 projection however the geoid model can vary. For more information refer to the project specific reports and metadata.

The naming convention for the tile downloads are based off the U.S. National Grid (USNG) , opens in a new tab .

In addition to the bare-earth DEMs/DTMs and first-return DSMs, the LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab managed by the USGS. The National Map downloader also facilitates bulk downloads.

For more information about Lidar visit Exploring Lidar.

During 2022 UGRC, the Utah Division of Emergency Management, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) acquired ~19,466 square miles of 2 and 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 & 2 Lidar for portions of Western and Eastern Utah. The 0.5 and 1 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .tif format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected between June and October, 2022.

During 2020 UGRC, the Utah Division of Emergency Management, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) acquired ~13,686 square miles of 2 and 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 & 2 Lidar for portions of Utah. The 0.5 and 1 meter resolution bare earth DEMs in .tif format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected between August and November, 2020.

During 2020 UGRC, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Utah Division of Emergency Management acquired ~5,143 square miles of 2 points per meter Quality Level 2 Lidar for portions of Central and Southern Utah. The 1 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .tif format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected between September and October, 2020.

During 2020 UGRC and the Utah Division of Emergency Management acquired ~9,740 square miles of 2 and 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 & 2 Lidar for portions of Southern Utah. The 0.5 and 1 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .tif format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected between May and July, 2020.

During 2019 UGRC and the Utah Reclamation Mitigation Conservation Commission (URMCC) acquired ~92 square miles of 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 Lidar and 10cm 4-band aerial photography of the Strawberry River, from Soldier Creek Dam to The Pinnacles, after the Dollar Ridge Fire in 2018. The 0.5 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .tif format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected August 15-18, 2019.

During 2018 UGRC, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) acquired ~2,271 square miles of 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 Lidar for areas in Northern Utah. The 0.5 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .tif format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab .

During 2018 UGRC, the Utah Division of Emergency Management, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) acquired ~3,759 square miles of 2 and 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 & 2 Lidar for areas in Central Utah. The 0.5 and 1 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .tif format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab .

During 2018 UGRC, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) acquired ~440 square miles of 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 Lidar in Central Utah. The 0.5 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .img format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab .

During the Spring of 2017 UGRC and the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources acquired ~28 square miles of 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 Lidar of Washakie, Utah and Whites Valley in Northern Utah. The 0.5 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .img format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected April 15-16, 2017.

In 2016 the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) acquired Lidar around Fredonia, AZ that covers ~150 square miles of Utah with 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 Lidar and includes Kanab, UT. The 0.5 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .img format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds, classified to ground, low, medium, are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected between October and December, 2016.

During the Fall of 2016 UGRC, Utah Geological Survey, and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands acquired ~1,555 square miles of 2 and 8 ppm Quality Level 1 and 2 Lidar of the Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake. The GSL portion of the project, collected between September and November 2016, is a combination of 0.5 QL1 and 1 meter QL2. Some areas are available as 0.5 meter although the entire GSL project areas is available as 1 meter. During the acquisition the GSL was at a historical low. The Utah Lake portion, collected between October and November 2016, is all 0.5 meter and is mainly the lake shoreline. The 0.5 and 1 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .img format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab .

During the Fall of 2016 UGRC and the Utah Geological Survey acquired ~205 square miles of 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 Lidar of The Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) area around Milford, Utah in Beaver and Millard Counties in western Utah. The 0.5 meter resolution bare earth DEMs and first-return/highest-hit DSMs in .img format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected between October 26 and November 3, 2016.

During 2015 and 2016 the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Park Service acquired ~239 square miles of 2 and 8 points per meter Quality Level 1 & 2 Lidar for Zion National Park in Utah. The 0.5 and 1 meter resolution bare earth DEMs in .img format have a 10.0cm vertical RMSE accuracy and are available for download. The LAS point clouds, classified to ground, low, medium, and high vegetation, are available from The National Map , opens in a new tab . This elevation data was collected between November 2015 and July 2016

During 2011 UGRC and Utah Geological Survey (UGS) acquired ~1,870 square miles of .85 meter Lidar for areas including the north, east, and south sides of the Great Salt Lake, Cedar Valley, Hurricane Fault, and more. The 1 meter bare-earth DEMs in .img format are available for download. The DSMs and LAS classified point clouds are available from Open Topography , opens in a new tab .