Reestra Playa

Playa is located in a valley framed by the Cottonwood Mountains from the east and the Last Chance ridge from the west. The highest point of the surrounding mountains is Ubehebe Peak ( English Ubehebe Peak ) located at a distance of 1.37 km to the west and has a height of 1731 m above sea level and a relative height of 571 m.

In the season of heavy rains, water flows from the slopes and forms a shallow lake, which quickly evaporates under the hot sun. The soft, wet clay dries out, cracks and forms a pattern of hexagons on the surface. The figures are small, have a size of 7.5 to 10 cm and a thickness of about 2.5 cm.

There is no vegetation on Reestrek Playa, since it has no water for almost the entire year. In two rainy seasons (in summer and especially in winter), water forms a thin layer of clay at the bottom. More abundant winter rains erase the pattern of polygons, which manifests itself only in the spring, when the sun and strong winds dry the earth. The annual precipitation is 75–100 mm, and the water freezes, and the resulting ice can be 2.5–6.5 cm thick. As a rule, only one part of the Rastrek-Playa floodes in one season.

The height of the dried bottom of the lake is 1130 m above sea level, the size is 4.5 to 2 km. The bottom surface is extremely flat, the northern edge is only 4 cm higher than the southern one. In the northern part of the dried lake there are 2 islands of bedrock:

• The Grandstand ( Grandstand ) - 22 m tall remnant
• Low carbonate outcrop

Along the west bank there is a gravel road, on which there is parking with explanatory signs. Camping near Rastrek-Playa is allowed only on the north and south sides.

Moving stones are a geological phenomenon found on the dried lake Reestrek Playa in Death Valley in the USA. Stones move slowly along the clayey bottom of the lake, as evidenced by the long trails that remain behind them. The stones move independently without the help of living beings, however, until 2013, no one has ever seen or recorded a movement to the camera. Similar movements of stones were noted in several other places, however, in terms of the number and length of tracks, Restrek-Playa stands out among the rest.

• The average summer temperature is 34 degrees in the daytime; at night it drops to 24-26.5 degrees. In the winter: in the afternoon from 11 to 18 degrees. At night, 5-8 degrees Celsius.
• Precipitation is almost absent.
• Atmospheric pressure ranges from 642 to 704 mm Hg. St., as the dried lake is at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level.
• Water on the lake does not appear every year and, on average, from December 1 to the 20th of March.

• USGS: Racetrack Playa
• The Sliding Rocks of Racetrack Playa
• The Mystery of the Rocks on the Racetrack at Death Valley
• Differential GPS / GIS analysis of the Death Rock National Park Racetrack, Death Valley National Park