<p>To investigate the surface propagation behavior and evolutionary characteristics of Rayleigh waves (R-waves) generated by surface impacts, a series of drop-hammer experiments and numerical simulations using ANSYS LS/DYNA were conducted. The peak particle velocity, particle trajectory and vibration energy of R-waves propagating along the ground surface were analyzed to reveal their propagation laws and dynamic evolution. A mechanical model analysis was also performed. The following key findings were obtained: the impact of a falling hammer on the ground surface directly excites the P-wave and vertically polarized the SV-wave, which couple near the surface to form Rayleigh waves. The stress wave energy generated by the impact is primarily concentrated in the vertical direction, with a dominant frequency range comparable to that of natural seismic events. The R-wave propagation on the surface can be divided into three stages: (1) the initial formation stage, (2) the full development stage, and (3) the dominant polarization stage. During the initial formation stage, the amplitude–frequency curve of the stress wave exhibits multiple peaks, and the attenuation of high-frequency components limits propagation distance. In the fully developed stage, high-frequency components are attenuated, and energy becomes concentrated at the dominant frequency. If this dominant frequency is low, the amplitude–frequency curve shows a single peak; if it lies in the medium to high range, multiple peaks may persist. Under fixed energy conditions, a smaller difference between radial and vertical energy components corresponds to a longer propagation distance. In the dominant polarization stage, energy in non-dominant directions rapidly attenuates, and the R-wave governs motion in the dominant polarization direction. When horizontal polarization dominates, the P-wave persists throughout all stages, and the medium-to-high-frequency components remain closely associated with it.</p>