Moving Rocks, The Racetrack,
Death Valley #1545
The rocks at the Racetrack are reputed to move. Although no one has ever witnessed the event, the tracks leave room for no other plausible explanation. It is hypothesized that when the surface of the playa is wet or frosted, high winds cause the rocks to slide and leave their tracks in the mud. Some tourists apparently think the rocks have magical properties and steal them. After having visited the Racetrack and observing many tracks without rocks (hence evidence that they were moved or stolen; the rocks would not have simply walked off on their own), I mentioned this to a ranger who told me that people sometimes mail the rocks back to the park services when they return home only to find that the "magical" rocks have brought them back luck.
