Racetrack Playa is a dry lakebed in the northern part of Death Valley National Park, at 3,700 feet elevation - relatively cool by Death Valley standards. The playa is remarkably flat - one of the flattest places on Earth - measuring about 2.8 miles long and 1.3 miles wide. When wet, the lakebed becomes slick mud; when dry, it cracks into polygonal patterns. Dolomite rocks from the surrounding mountains fall onto the playa and begin their mysterious journeys. The trails they leave can be inches or feet wide, perfectly straight or curved, parallel or diverging. Some rocks sit at the end of long trails; others seem to have moved and stopped without pattern.

The sailing stones were documented at least as early as 1915, and the mystery captured scientific and public imagination for a century. The stones clearly moved - their trails proved it - but no one had ever witnessed the motion. Theories proliferated: strong winds (but some rocks weighed hundreds of pounds), magnetic fields (but the rocks weren't magnetic), pranksters (but no human tracks appeared). Some stones moved while nearby identical stones stayed put. Some turned mid-trail. Some traveled together, then separated. The phenomena seemed to defy physics, inviting paranormal explanations. Scientists were frustrated; they couldn't catch the stones in the act.

In 2014, researchers Ralph Lorenz and Richard Norris finally caught the sailing stones moving. Using GPS trackers and time-lapse cameras, they documented the mechanism. In winter, rainwater can flood the playa to a few inches depth. On cold nights, thin ice sheets form. As the ice begins to break up on sunny days, light winds push the ice sheets across the water. Rocks embedded in the ice are carried along. The movement is subtle - inches per second - and occurs only under specific conditions: flooding, freezing, partial thaw, and wind in alignment. A single movement event might occur every few years. The stones sail on ice.

Reaching Racetrack Playa is an adventure in itself. The playa lies at the end of a 27-mile rough dirt road that requires high-clearance vehicles and often 4WD. There are no services, no water, and no cell signal. Flat tires are common; rescue is difficult. Visitors who reach the playa find it eerily beautiful - the flat expanse, the cracked surface, the mysterious rocks and their trails. The National Park Service asks visitors not to touch the rocks or walk on wet playa (footprints persist for years). The mystery is solved, but the experience remains otherworldly.

Racetrack Playa is located in the northern part of Death Valley National Park, accessible via Racetrack Valley Road from Ubehebe Crater. The road is 27 miles of rough dirt requiring high-clearance vehicles; check current conditions at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. Allow 2-3 hours each way plus time at the playa. Bring multiple spare tires, water, food, and emergency supplies - there is no help available. The playa is best visited in winter when temperatures are bearable and ice events are possible (though rarely witnessed). The nearest services are at Stovepipe Wells (50+ miles) or Furnace Creek (60+ miles). Death Valley entrance fees apply. The sailing stones are worth the journey for those prepared for the road.