Racetrack Playa is a remote dry lakebed in Death Valley National Park, California, famous for "sailing stones" that leave tracks across its hard clay surface. In this arid basin, a shallow temporary lake can form after winter precipitation; direct observations in 2014 showed that thin ice sheets then break apart and drift in light winds, slowly pushing stones across the mud. Scientists used weather instruments, cameras, and GPS to connect movement with freezing nights, shallow water, floating ice, and mild winds, though some details remain unsettled. The playa is also notable for its polygonal mud cracks, signs of ice action, stark scenery, and fragile desert environment.