n-Alkanes and their hydrogen stable isotopes in the saline sediments from Chaka Lake and terrestrial plants in its surrounding areas were first analyzed using GC-MS and GC-TC-IRMS techniques in order to understand the distributions of n-alkanes and hydrogen isotope in sediments and organisms in saline lake. The results show that n-alkanes in plants in Chaka Lake surrounding areas have a high odd over even predominance and carbon-number maxima at C25 or C27 and ACL values are related to the plant types. The distributions of n-alkanes in the sediments are close to those terrestrial herbaceous plants in the studied region. The hydrogen isotopic compositions of individual n-alkanes in woody plant leaves around the Chaka Saline Lake are heavier than those in terrestrial herbaceous plants, and n-alkanes in terrestrial herbaceous plants are more enriched in lighter hydrogen isotope than woody plants compared with environment water. The δD and ACL values of n-alkanes in the sediments from Chaka Saline Lake are similar with those in terrestrial Poa sp. and Kobresia sp. herbaceous plants, indicating that n-alkanes in the sediment are mainly derived from these plants. The results provide scientific basis for the application study of hydrogen isotopic composition of individual n-alkanes.