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Tire Tracks On Racetrack Playa At Death Valley National Park Erased

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By NPT Staff - March 16th, 2018

Joyriders leave hard-to-erase tire tracks on the Racetrack playa at Death Valley National Park/NPS

Volunteer sweat combined with rakes and 750 gallons of water seem to have been successful in erasing vehicle tracks joyriders left on the playa known as the "Racetrack" in Death Valley National Park.

Nineteen people from Friends of the Inyo and the National Park Service recently spent a weekend attempting to remove tire tracks from the Racetrack playa. They used garden rakes and 750 gallons of water to attempt to restore 512 feet of tire tracks. The tire tracks were very visible, and this effort helps to eliminate the tire track depressions and bring back the natural polygon shapes on the playa, a park release explained.

By the conclusion of the project, the geometric patterns could be seen beginning to reform. 

“The Racetrack is a unique geologic oddity found within Death Valley,” said Death Valley Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime destination for many people, and tire tracks on this playa, or any other off-road site, impair the enjoyment of the site by thousands of visitors. We are extremely grateful for the volunteers who took on this remote, complicated job.”

Erasing tire tracks on the Racetrack playa at Death Valley National Park is difficult/NPS

The moving rocks of the Racetrack, and the trails they leave etched in the dry lake bed, have been a curiosity to the public and enigma to the science community for decades. Countless theories have tried to explain the movement of the rocks, but in 2013 a Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego team observed the rocks moving and published their findings in PLOS ONE. 

Driving off road onto the playa is illegal and leaves tracks that will take decades for nature to restore. The lake bed is within designated wilderness and as such is to be enjoyed by walking in from the parking areas. The National Park Service continues to prosecute those found driving on the playa and currently has multiple pending cases.

Erasing tire tracks on the Racetrack playa at Death Valley National Park is difficult/NPS

Seventy-hundred-and-fifty gallons of water were used to try to erase tire tracks on the Racetrack playa at Death Valley National Park/NPS

Death Valley National Park wants to remind people that the Racetrack is located in a remote area of the park and road conditions are variable at best, requiring high clearance vehicles and heavy duty tires. Do not attempt a trip to the Racetrack without a plenty of fuel and water. There is no cell phone service in the area. Be prepared for the possibility of spending the night if your vehicle becomes disabled.

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