The Racetrack Playa

Deep in the heart of the California desert lies one of the natural world's most puzzling mysteries: the moving rocks of Death Valley. These are not ordinary moving rocks that tumble down mountainsides in avalanches, are carried along riverbeds by flowing water, or are tossed aside by animals. These rocks, some as heavy as 700 pounds, are inexplicably transported across a virtually flat desert plain, leaving erratic trails in the hard mud behind them, some hundreds of yards long. They move by some mysterious force, and in the nine decades since we have known about them, no one has ever seen them move.

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Comments

Bart Plucinski says:

piękne foty! świetne krajobrazy!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

marekd says:

fakt piekne! i like the composition.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

haberlea says:

Wow. Thanks for giving the info. It's most thrilling!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

freemysoul says:

This is so amazing ....
I've been looking for hours when I was there.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

melastmohican says:

I have heard opinions that stone should be more in strong point of the photo but I like foreground and it's not cropped.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Mattijn says:

i love this mystery
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

melastmohican says:

Thanks. I think I got better perspective than on this one:

Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Elias2005 says:

!!!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

suzzaine999 says:

bfulllllll
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Cassadota says:

great shot. i like the image and the story!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

flexabull says:

Great! I really wanted to see this when I was in Death Valley... but we didn't get to. I guess I need to go back.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

unsure shot says:

Awesome.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

heyrog says:

You may want to give credit to Ed Darack for the caption text:
www.death-valley.us/article332.html
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

***Karen says:

fascinating!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

Ehud Rosenberg says:

:)
love this...
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

sgoralnick says:

amazing!
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

lastpolishprincess says:

Awesome!!!
Posted 47 months ago. ( permalink )

sanukphoto says:

Holly sh..
That is the greatest photo!
Posted 47 months ago. ( permalink )

gakout says:

Cool. I suppose no betting on this racetrack.
Posted 47 months ago. ( permalink )

hhsc/Greg says:

Very cool!!!!!
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

melastmohican says:

Yes, it' s great place. Often overlooked cause people think is accessible for 4x4s only. I saw passenger cars there. It woul take longer to get there but it's possible.
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

Tucker Photography says:

fantastic shot and a good note to boot intriguing tale
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

copeg says:

Very cool racetrack photo!
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

shenxy says:

very interesting shot! faved.
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

rachelreese says:

very cool. Racetrack Playa is one of my favorite places! thanks for the cool shot of it!
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

babushka says:

wow - never heard of this before! wonderful - thanks :)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Shadowgolem says:

"And then the little flying man got tired and stopped pulling it along."

I love these!

The World Through My Eyes
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Julie Hovis says:

Very interesting! Wonderful photo as well. Love the perspective.

The World Through My Eyes
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

mira_o says:

Beautiful shot, and quite amazing phenomena of nature!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Ben Ryerson says:

Man, nature is so freakin' awesome. Great shot too!
The World Through My Eyes
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Donna Francé says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Two Feet Under, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.

I like your point of view!
Please consider posting this picture into the Two Feet Under group.
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

barney_basspedalz says:

Retarded Dung Beetles
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Erik mit k says:

Remembers me of this one Spongebob Episode... ^^
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Monochor says:

I bet someone's messing with everyone and just moving it with a bulldozer or something.

lol, it's probably desert winds.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

j.izzle says:

nice shot
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Lemon Couch [deleted] says:

i know why, the rocks dont move at all, its the earth! As the earth rotates, the rocks stay still due to there shape and weight. Therefore the land underneath scrapes against the rock and leaves a trail.

Well thats my theory, phew, i need a drink :).

By the way, nice shot.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

michael spear hawkins says:

great shot! saw this on popurls.com congrats on that. Is this in enough pools? I thought I was whoring my stuff out by putting it in 4! lol, anyways great shot for a great mystery.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

watchtower517 says:

they did this on mythbusters on discovery channel. they didnt have any explanation
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

leof [deleted] says:

It looks like the rock moves when it rains. You can see it in the trail of dried mud push to the sides. If it moved when it was dry then it would leave a sharp groove. The dirt to the side is in a bulge like it was wet and pushed to the side and then it hardens again. Hard to tell from this picture to be sure.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Peter ●●initram5● says:

Wow! amazing!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_stones - Physicists studying the phenomenon in 1995 found that winds blowing on playa surfaces can be compressed and intensified. They also found that boundary layers (the region just above ground where winds are slower due to ground drag) on these surfaces can be as low as 2 inches (5 cm). This means that stones just a few inches high feel the full force of ambient winds and their gusts, which can reach 90 mph (145 km/h) in winter storms. Such gusts are thought to be the initiating force while momentum and sustained winds keep the stones moving, possibly as fast as a moderate run (only half the force required to start a stone sailing is needed to keep it in motion).

And a fascinating video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1hoiHvOeGc
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

pokestuff says:

is it not the wind?
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Mskadu says:

@pokestuff: what kind of wind moves a 700 pound rock and not devastate the country side? Even if there was some, I am sure someone would have noticed.

Pretty curious though!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

pictor1973 says:

@Mskadu: right! just like how could possibly water have eroded a canyon? Or how could a tiny drop possibly carve a stone? Must be aliens, flying in from area 51 and pushing those rocks around!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Lima Oscar Lima says:

me and my pal Karl go there and move them. I can only admit this because you'll all assume i'm full of it.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

makarot says:

@Mskadu: Countryside??
That's being a little too generous, I think.
Besides, have you seen Death Valley?
That's one 'devastated countryside' as far as I can tell.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Caffeine inc says:

I'd say man made, but whatever .. ;-)
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

hobojesse says:

maybe there magnetic?
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Bryan Hughes says:

Just because somebody on flickr says something is a mystery doesn't make it one. The phenomenon is the WIND and unique geology off the area over the course of years. Why is it people turn to their own dumb conclusions before typing in google.com?
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

crash2wire says:

This is a known phenomenon and it's no longer a mystery. Just because the author was not smart enough to RESEARCH this before calling it a "mystery" doesn't make it one. It just proves the ignorance of the author.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Band In Boston says:

Beautiful photo! In case you were wondering, this is how they move: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1hoiHvOeGc
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

mushkasdad says:

I bet they all have keys under them...we used to have this fake rock that we used for hiding the backdoor key and it was always moving too.....noone ever seemed to know how either.....coincidence?? Who's to say! :P
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

jolivierld says:

it must be teh aliens from area 51 ;-)
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

kulpims says:

if you were a rock lying somewhere in Death Valley - wouldn't you want to strech your legs once in a while? :)
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

RobCockerham says:

I wish there was some object in the foreground to indicate scale, but that would probably ruin the appeal of the photograph.

My first thought was that the rock's "trail" is just an illusion of movement, carved from the dirt by wind or flowing water. However, a little reading at wikipedia reveals that the rocks are actually moving around, in circles sometimes.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

~libby says:

Wonderful shot of a fascinating phenomena! Seems everyone has their theory of how they move... How can anyone really know for sure? Spend a month in Death Valley (if you can survive the extremely harsh conditions) and watch it, then maybe you can come up with a plausible theory!

I think I prefer not knowing for sure... it's so fascinating, and makes for an awesome photo opp!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Justin Metz says:

Do a little searching and there is an explanation, but of course no one has ever seen them "move," because their movement is so slow that it is impossible to perceive without time lapse photography.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

iChristos says:

Beautifully composed. I would have maybe moved the frame up just a tad, so you get a bit more of the sky, less of the ground. Also, I am not sure if you used a tripod, but closing down the lens a little bit more, would have been great to give the background hills that extra sharp crispness. Great photograph that's why I'm nitpicking ! :)
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

mgp5000 says:

The book Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens Valley gives a really good explanation of this phenomenon. I've seen it up close - totally bizarre.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

melastmohican says:

Thanks for all comment, suddenly I reached 100,000 view today. What's going on?
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

mikecpeck says:

http://digg.com is where all the traffic is coming from.

Awesome photo though!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

ababm23 says:

I've heard that rocks like this are moved by the wind after a rain that turns the desert floor to a super-slick mud.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Christy Bassman says:

Fascinating and kinda creepy at the same time!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

sesh00 says:

You're also made it to Reddit!

--
Seen on reddit.com (?)
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

A. Saleh says:

really amazing too mysterious!
thanks for sharing.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

bq_27 says:

Very Interesting!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Adamk0310 says:

Fascinating!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Erianae says:

Wow, that's amazing!
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

codswallower@yahoo.com says:

I'm willing to bet that the rocks move from higher to lower elevations, downhill that is.

As we can see that the playa is essentially a seasonally dry lakebed, the rocks slide downhill during periods of rain or in standing water. A thin layer of water acts as a lubricant allowing the rocks to follow the pull of gravity downhill.

Glaciers move in a similar fashion.

Or maybe Jesus moves them.
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

DistantLight says:

Further proof of the existence of God...

I'm completely kidding, by the way.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

moczkoś says:

to jest tak,...wiadoo ze ziemia jest okragla..no nie..? wiec gdy pada deszcz, to te kamienie sie poprostu powoli 'zsuwaja' w strone rownika,..no nie..?.......czytalo sie o tym...zadna tam mistery.......;))
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

ptashek says:

Jak to nieznana sila? A krasnoludki to co, jesien sredniowiecza? ;))
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

melastmohican says:

Krasnoludki na tej polkuli, pieski preriowe co najwyzej :-)
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

OndraSoukup says:

duh, that is creepy :|
(you better be sorry, I actually read the description...before I went to bed :)
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

DreamzInColor says:

wwwweird......
...I would like to visit these rocks,... maybe have a chat... see what's goin' on over there....
lol
You are invited to add this intriguing image & story in
***Exceptionally Interesting Images*** ~Invitation Only Pool~

Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

DreamzInColor says:

You are invited to add this image in
World's Most Intriguing ~Invitation Only Pool~

Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

perseverando says:

nothing so mysterious as nature!

www.flickr.com/groups/exceptionally-interesti ng-images/
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

FlickAwardR says:

Great Photo,
Please consider posting this picture into FlickAwardR Grouop

Congratulations, Your Photo deserves a FlickAward
From FlickAwardR Group
Be sure your photo is tagged under "FlickAwardR"
You should join to our Photography Community too,
(professional & amateur photographers)
to meet and make photographer friends & win the Photo Contest.
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

donnacorless says:

Very nice.

Congratulations, Your Photo deserves a FlickAward
From FlickAwardR Group
Be sure your photo is tagged under "FlickAwardR"
You should join to our Photography Community too,
(professional & amateur photographers)
to meet and make photographer friends & win the Photo Contest.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

blufflens says:

Interesting, Any idea on how large that actual rock is? Its hard to tell from the picture.

Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Rhodentette says:

Two more links:

geology.com/articles/racetrack-playa-sliding- rocks.shtml

sophia.smith.edu/~lfletche/deathvalley.html

Neat phenomenon, but really no more mysterious than erratics.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

tv.computer says:

Here is another photo of the same phenomena.
www.favoritepart.com/Default.aspx?img=898& alt=favorit...
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

Mark Griffith says:

I love these types of shots, am looking forward to reading all the links.
--
Seen on your photo stream. (?)
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

jonrawlinson says:

I'm headed to death valley next week!

Can you tell me where this?

thanks:

theradblog@gmail.com

Great photo!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

man.bad68 says:

Very Interesting!
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

Lens Eyes says:

A very beautiful pic of this good mistery.
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

stammberger13 says:

wonderful capture!!!

You are my winner!
Please add this photo to
www.flickr.com/groups/mywinners/
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

Electric Spam says:

Nice pic!

ps - It was me.
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

SBA73 says:

It's really amazing!!
Posted 12 months ago. ( permalink )

melastmohican says:

tineye.com/search/dbf95367409dfadb1b0dfcc854c 28d68a7b31e1f
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

mackenzie944 says:

Would you be interested in selling this image as stock for a national philanthropic initiative? No joke!
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

melastmohican says:

You can buy it at Dreamstime, ID: 5355330
Posted 3 months ago. ( permalink )

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Additional Information

Taken in Stove Pipe Wells, California (map)
Taken with a Canon EOS 20D.
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Taken on November 26, 2005
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