The Racetrack Playa Sailing Stones

The Racetrack is a perfectly flat, 2.8-mile-long dry lakebed where massive stones — some weighing hundreds of pounds — have mysteriously slid across the playa, leaving straight tracks behind them. The phenomenon puzzled scientists for decades until they discovered that thin sheets of ice, formed after rare winter rains, create the perfect conditions for rocks to glide when pushed by light winds. The contrast between the white alkali surface and dark volcanic rocks creates an otherworldly landscape that feels more like an alien planet than Earth.

The 27-mile drive from Ubehebe Crater is rough and requires high-clearance vehicles, with washboard sections that’ll rattle your fillings loose. The playa is most impressive in late afternoon when shadows accentuate the rock trails. Winter and spring offer the best chance of seeing the playa with water, though the stones only move under very specific conditions that might happen once every few years.

Where rocks mysteriously move across the desert floor