The Cenozoic loess sequence in China is characterized by high sedimentation rates and continuity, which record the continuous paleoclimatic dynamics and significant geological events in East Asia, leading to a series of cutting- edge scientific questions that have received widespread attention on a global scale. Influenced by regional tectonic- geomorphic processes and atmospheric circulation patterns, numerous basin- mountain desert systems with extensive windblown sand formations developed in southern China during the Late Mesozoic. However, little attention has been given to the existence of loess or loess- like deposits in these areas. In this study, the Upper Cretaceous Honghuatao Formation in the Hengyang basin was preliminarily investigated using grain size end- member analysis and field exposure configuration analysis. Environmental types including aeolian dunes, sand sheets, and mud flats were identified. Additionally, grain size components resembling loess were extracted from the mudflat environment. The study proposes aeolian origin for these loess- like deposits and summarizes their formation and accumulation processes. This work aims to explore the possibility of loess- like deposits during the Cretaceous period, providing insights for future studies on dust records in the Mesozoic southern China.