diff --git a/scripts/format-scope.json b/scripts/format-scope.json
index cad7d1a80..eb802e4b4 100644
--- a/scripts/format-scope.json
+++ b/scripts/format-scope.json
@@ -1112,6 +1112,7 @@
   "src/globe/navara/sharpen.js",
   "src/globe/navara/surface.js",
   "src/globe/navara/surface.test.mjs",
+  "src/globe/navara/surfaceRay.test.mjs",
   "src/globe/navara/viewOptions.js",
   "src/globe/navara/viewOptions.test.mjs",
   "src/globe/testing/contractSuite.mjs",
diff --git a/src/globe/contract.js b/src/globe/contract.js
index fc89aa2a9..3376f2579 100644
--- a/src/globe/contract.js
+++ b/src/globe/contract.js
@@ -203,6 +203,11 @@
  *   The position moved onto the rendered scene along the geodetic normal.
  * @property {boolean} clampToHeightSupported
  * @property {() => boolean} tilesLoaded
+ * @property {boolean} [raycastSupported] Optional visible-tile obstruction probe.
+ * @property {(ray: { origin: Cartesian3, direction: Cartesian3, far: number, exclude?: any[] }) => ({ position: Cartesian3, distance: number, object: any } | undefined)} [raycast]
+ *   Nearest visible tile triangle within finite positive `far` metres. Direction
+ *   is normalized by the adapter. Excluded roots/meshes and hidden objects do
+ *   not obstruct; a miss or unsupported geometry returns undefined, not terrain.
  *
  * @typedef {object} SurfaceHeight
  * @property {number} height Metres above the ellipsoid.
diff --git a/src/globe/navara/surface.js b/src/globe/navara/surface.js
index fa2fa54d7..68253bc98 100644
--- a/src/globe/navara/surface.js
+++ b/src/globe/navara/surface.js
@@ -132,7 +132,14 @@ function nearestHit(meshes, roots, ray) {
     if (!geometry.boundingSphere) geometry.computeBoundingSphere();
     sphere.copy(geometry.boundingSphere).applyMatrix4(mesh.matrixWorld);
     if (!worldRay.intersectSphere(sphere, entry)) continue;
-    candidates.push([worldRay.origin.distanceTo(entry), i]);
+    // intersectSphere returns the exit when the origin is inside. Such a mesh
+    // can contain the nearest triangle, so it must enter the candidate list at 0.
+    candidates.push([
+      sphere.containsPoint(worldRay.origin)
+        ? 0
+        : worldRay.origin.distanceTo(entry),
+      i,
+    ]);
   }
   candidates.sort((x, y) => x[0] - y[0]);
   let nearest = Infinity;
@@ -283,8 +290,59 @@ export function createNavaraSurface(view, hooks) {
   };
   const sampleHeight = (place, exclude) =>
     sampleHeightDetailed(place, exclude ? { exclude } : undefined)?.height;
+  // Activation-time obstruction probe: only the visible tile triangles, never
+  // a fabricated terrain intersection or a second retained-geometry cache.
+  const raycast = ({ origin, direction, far, exclude = [] }) => {
+    if (
+      !supported ||
+      ![
+        origin?.x,
+        origin?.y,
+        origin?.z,
+        direction?.x,
+        direction?.y,
+        direction?.z,
+        far,
+      ].every(Number.isFinite) ||
+      far <= 0
+    )
+      return undefined;
+    const length = Math.hypot(direction.x, direction.y, direction.z);
+    if (!length || !Number.isFinite(length)) return undefined;
+    const ray = {
+      origin,
+      direction: {
+        x: direction.x / length,
+        y: direction.y / length,
+        z: direction.z / length,
+      },
+      far,
+    };
+    const excluded = exclude.length ? new Set(exclude) : NO_EXCLUDE;
+    shownMeshes.length = shownRoots.length = 0;
+    let hit;
+    try {
+      for (const root of hooks.tileRoots())
+        collectMeshes(root, excluded, true, shownMeshes, shownRoots, root);
+      hit = nearestHit(shownMeshes, shownRoots, ray);
+    } finally {
+      shownMeshes.length = shownRoots.length = 0;
+    }
+    if (!Number.isFinite(hit.distance)) return undefined;
+    return {
+      distance: hit.distance,
+      object: hit.root,
+      position: {
+        x: origin.x + ray.direction.x * hit.distance,
+        y: origin.y + ray.direction.y * hit.distance,
+        z: origin.z + ray.direction.z * hit.distance,
+      },
+    };
+  };
   return {
     surface: {
+      raycast,
+      raycastSupported: supported,
       sampleHeight,
       sampleHeightDetailed,
       supported,
diff --git a/src/globe/navara/surfaceRay.test.mjs b/src/globe/navara/surfaceRay.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ed1629c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/globe/navara/surfaceRay.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import test from 'node:test';
+import {
+  BackSide,
+  DoubleSide,
+  FrontSide,
+  Group,
+  Mesh,
+  MeshBasicMaterial,
+  PlaneGeometry,
+} from 'three';
+import { createNavaraSurface } from './surface.js';
+
+function fixture(t, { distances = [5], sizes = [20], supported = true } = {}) {
+  const tiles = distances.map((distance, i) => {
+    const root = new Group();
+    const geometry = new PlaneGeometry(sizes[i] ?? 20, sizes[i] ?? 20);
+    const material = new MeshBasicMaterial({ side: DoubleSide });
+    const mesh = new Mesh(geometry, material);
+    root.position.set(6378137, 0, distance);
+    root.add(mesh);
+    root.updateMatrixWorld(true);
+    t.after(() => {
+      geometry.dispose();
+      material.dispose();
+    });
+    return root;
+  });
+  let terrainQueries = 0;
+  const { surface } = createNavaraSurface(
+    {
+      sampleTerrainHeight: () => {
+        terrainQueries++;
+        return 123;
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      tileRoots: () => tiles,
+      isIdle: () => true,
+      retainTileGeometry() {
+        if (!supported) throw new Error('CPU geometry unavailable');
+      },
+    },
+  );
+  const ray = {
+    origin: { x: 6378137, y: 0, z: 0 },
+    direction: { x: 0, y: 0, z: 1 },
+    far: 10,
+  };
+  return { surface, tiles, ray, terrainQueries: () => terrainQueries };
+}
+
+test('surface ray returns the nearest real triangle in world metres', (t) => {
+  const h = fixture(t, { distances: [8, 5] });
+  const hit = h.surface.raycast({
+    ...h.ray,
+    direction: { x: 0, y: 0, z: 7 },
+  });
+  assert.equal(hit.distance, 5);
+  assert.deepEqual(hit.position, { x: 6378137, y: 0, z: 5 });
+  assert.equal(hit.object, h.tiles[1]);
+  assert.equal(h.terrainQueries(), 0);
+});
+
+test('a ray starting inside a broad bound still finds its nearer triangle', (t) => {
+  const h = fixture(t, { distances: [5, 2], sizes: [1, 200] });
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast(h.ray).distance, 2);
+});
+
+test('surface rays respect finite range, tile and child exclusions and visibility', (t) => {
+  const h = fixture(t, { distances: [5, 8] });
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast({ ...h.ray, far: 4 }), undefined);
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast({ ...h.ray, far: 5 }).distance, 5);
+  for (const excluded of [h.tiles[0], h.tiles[0].children[0]])
+    assert.equal(
+      h.surface.raycast({ ...h.ray, exclude: [excluded] }).distance,
+      8,
+    );
+  h.tiles[0].visible = false;
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast(h.ray).distance, 8);
+  h.tiles[1].children[0].visible = false;
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast(h.ray), undefined);
+  assert.equal(h.terrainQueries(), 0);
+});
+
+test('invalid and unsupported surface rays never invent terrain intersections', (t) => {
+  const h = fixture(t);
+  for (const far of [0, -1, NaN, Infinity])
+    assert.equal(h.surface.raycast({ ...h.ray, far }), undefined);
+  for (const direction of [
+    { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 },
+    { x: NaN, y: 0, z: 1 },
+  ])
+    assert.equal(h.surface.raycast({ ...h.ray, direction }), undefined);
+  assert.equal(
+    h.surface.raycast({ ...h.ray, origin: { x: Infinity, y: 0, z: 0 } }),
+    undefined,
+  );
+  const missing = fixture(t, { supported: false });
+  assert.equal(missing.surface.raycastSupported, false);
+  assert.equal(missing.surface.raycast(missing.ray), undefined);
+  assert.equal(missing.terrainQueries(), 0);
+});
+
+test('surface rays work after UV/normal release and honor sides and draw ranges', (t) => {
+  const h = fixture(t);
+  const mesh = h.tiles[0].children[0];
+  mesh.geometry.attributes.normal.array = null;
+  mesh.geometry.attributes.uv.array = null;
+  mesh.material.side = FrontSide;
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast(h.ray), undefined);
+  mesh.material.side = BackSide;
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast(h.ray).distance, 5);
+  mesh.geometry.setDrawRange(0, 0);
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast(h.ray), undefined);
+  mesh.geometry.setDrawRange(0, 6);
+  const hit = h.surface.raycast({
+    ...h.ray,
+    direction: { x: 1, y: 0, z: 1 },
+  });
+  assert.ok(Math.abs(hit.distance - Math.sqrt(50)) < 1e-9);
+  assert.ok(Math.abs(hit.position.x - 6378142) < 1e-9);
+});
+
+test('surface ray distances stay in world metres under mesh transforms', (t) => {
+  const h = fixture(t);
+  h.tiles[0].scale.set(2, 3, 2);
+  h.tiles[0].children[0].position.z = 1;
+  h.tiles[0].updateMatrixWorld(true);
+  assert.equal(h.surface.raycast({ ...h.ray, far: 6 }), undefined);
+  const first = h.surface.raycast(h.ray);
+  assert.equal(first.distance, 7);
+  h.surface.raycast({ ...h.ray, direction: { x: 1, y: 0, z: 1 } });
+  assert.deepEqual(first.position, { x: 6378137, y: 0, z: 7 });
+});