The Sailing Stones of Death Valley

Death Valley National Park is a strange place by any standard. Famously known for being the H๏τtest place on earth, Death Valley also sits at the driest and lowest elevation in North America.

Its strangest feature of all is the mysterious Racetrack Playa. Here, rocks drift across the flat desert landscape, seemingly propelled by no power other than their own!

The mystery of the sailing stones

Located on the border of California and Nevada, Death Valley National Park was designated in 1933, and is home to one of the world’s strangest phenomena: rocks that move along the desert ground with no gravitational cause. Known as “sailing stones,” the rocks vary in size from a few ounces to hundreds of pounds. Though no one has ever seen them actually move in person, the trails left behind the stones and periodic changes in their location make it clear that they do.

Rocks of Racetrack Playa in Death Valley

Scientific explanations

The rocks of Racetrack Playa are composed of dolomite and syenite, the same materials that make up the surrounding mountains. They tumble down due to the forces of erosion, coming to rest on the parched ground below. Once they reach the level surface of the playa, the rocks somehow move horizontally, leaving perfect tracks behind them to record their path.

Many of the largest rocks have left behind trails as long as 1,500 feet, suggesting that they’ve moved a long way indeed from their original location. Rocks with a rough-bottomed surface leave straight tracks, while smooth-bottomed rocks tend to wander. The sailing stones have been observed and studied since the early 1900s, and several theories have been suggested to explain their mysterious movements.

Sailing stones in the desert of Death Valley
Sailing stones in the desert of Death Valley

In 2014, scientists were able to capture the movement of the stones for the first time using time-lapse pH๏τography. The results strongly suggest that the sailing stones are the result of a perfect balance of ice, water, and wind. In the winter of 2014, rain formed a small pond that froze overnight and thawed the next day, creating a vast sheet of ice that was reduced by midday to only a few millimeters thick. Driven by a light wind, this sheet broke up and accumulated behind the stones, slowly pushing them forward.

Visiting the Racetrack

To see the moving rocks of the Racetrack Playa, drive 2 miles south of the Grandstand parking area. While the precise location of the sailing stones is always changing, you can usually get the best view by walking about a half-mile toward the southeast corner of the playa.

When you do visit, please do not disturb the rocks or their tracks. Following rain, the playa becomes muddy, so be careful to avoid approaching the rocks and leaving unsightly footprints during wet conditions. Driving off established roads is also prohibited.

The sailing stones of Death Valley continue to baffle park visitors and scientists alike. We may think we have found the answer to their movement, but who knows what other secrets lie in Death Valley? Pay a visit and see if you can come up with your own theory about this great phenomena.

Tea kettles hanging from Death Valley sign
Tea kettles hanging from Death Valley sign

To learn more interesting facts about national parks across the system, check out our entire free Owner’s Guide series – you’ll find great travel ideas and inspiration for your next adventure!

Related Posts

The Painted Lodges of the Great Plains – Archaeological Insight into the Tipi Cultures of North America (Late 19th–Early 20th Century)

Discovered through extensive documentation and preservation efforts between 1890 and 1910, the series of painted lodges depicted in historical pH๏τographs—representing tribes such as the Crow, Lakota, Arapaho,…

The Giants Beneath Our Feet — Unearthing the Skull of the Forgotten тιтans

Introduction: The Discovery That Shook the Earth In the summer of 2021, a team of archaeologists from the Eurasian Insтιтute of Prehistoric Studies stumbled upon what may…

The Stone That Remembered the Sky — Ancient Evidence of Cosmic Visitors

High in the windswept plains of Tigray, northern Ethiopia, stands an ancient monolith known locally as The Fire Stone of the Sky. Carbon-dating and geological analysis place…

The Enigmatic Discovery on Everest – A Century-Old Mystery Resurfaces

In the shadow of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, an extraordinary claim has begun circulating once more—one that ties together lost expeditions, hidden technology, and mankind’s…

The Sumerian Star Map – Echoes of the Cosmos from the Dawn of Civilization

Over six millennia ago, in the fertile plains between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Sumerians built the first known cities in human history—Uruk, Eridu, Lagash, and…

The Enigma of Silbury Hill – Britain’s Timeless Monument of Earth and Mystery

Rising from the Wiltshire countryside like a green spiral of forgotten purpose, Silbury Hill stands as one of the most extraordinary prehistoric monuments in Europe. Located near…