Largely undeveloped White Rock Canyon, on the eastern edge of the community, provides a wilderness recreation area heavily used by residents of White Rock and Santa Fe. The canyon was carved through basalt and tuff by the south-flowing Rio Grande. The canyon runs from the Otowi Suspension Bridge in the north and to Cochiti Dam in the south, with many smaller tributary canyons such Los Alamos, Mortandad, Water, Ancho, Frijoles, and Capulin Canyon. White Rock is situated on a portion of the west side of the canyon along with Bandelier National Monument, a section of Los Alamos National Laboratory, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo, and Santa Fe National Forest. Across the river to the east rises the Caja del Rio.