Hello, need some advice.

I have a path cutout about 42" x 25' in my lawn, I have cut down to a depth of 4 inches. I want to lay stepping stones in the path area, the stones will be 4-6" apart. I live in N. Alabama so freezing will not be an issue. Can I simply use 2-3" of paver base sand for my base layer? I plan to lay the stones on top of the sand then spread mulch over the sand.

The reason I am asking is because I am concerned that the sand will wash away. Is this an application better suited to crushed stone?

Does this sound like a good idea?

Thanks...