Are you in an area with termites? In a heavy rain what will hood the bark in place? With the dog my first thought would be big pine bark chips (cheap and won’t track) but they float in the rain. And can harbor termites. Cypress mulch won’t harbor termites and doesn’t float as much but it’s like Velcro (binds to itself and pets).

I don’t think I’m helping...

What is available in bark mulch will vary widely depending on location. Just get whatever you like of a medium size (not shreds and not large chunks) and a reasonable cost. btw, as a wood product, ALL bark mulch will change color in time and fade to gray.....except any dyed stuff. And I wouldn't have that in my garden as it looks so blatantly artificial.

What about some seeded grasss or clover with the stepping stones?

We have a vacation house that we share with extended family. Some construction work destroyed the old cement paver paths in the lawn, and other side of the family replaced the pavers with bark mulch (because they have no taste and litttle sense, it seems). It was vile and filthy, impossible to walk on barefoot and not advisable in sandels, and super ugly. Completely inappropriate for any surface that you walk or stand on. As soon as my side of the family found out, we tore it out and replaced with granite paver pathways at great expense because it was THAT BAD.

Grass is fine until you can get enough material for a full patio.

Boy, the above is a pretty strong reaction!! And seems to be very individualistic as well.. Bark mulch or wood chip paths and walkways are very common in informal settings here....some with pavers but many without. Not wonderful in bare feet but perfectly navigatable otherwise. And neither vile nor filthy :-)) In fact, bark mulch or wood chips are great at diminishing or eliminating a muddy surface for walkways and are often used in dog runs and under playground equipment for just this reason!

I dunno Gardengal, but this was awful, awful low-grade stuff and used in areas where everyone is frequently barefoot or in flip flops, so it was completely inappropriate. And who puts a mulch/bark path on a lawn?? It was seriously worse than no paths - it wasn't like this was a trail through some swampy woods. I've also seen far better quality and better looking material used for playgrounds and erosion control on hiking paths.

Not at all the same use or application here. And since we can't see where or how it is going to be used, we can only go with the OP's description. Although I do agree that some less combustible material under and immediately adjacent to the firepit is highly advised !!

I still think grass or even some river gravel would be better than bark/mulch for a sitting area and firepit.

Thanks everyone for the input. To try and answer everyones' questions, the area is pretty shaded from some nearby redwood trees and the house so I don't think grass would grow. The fire pit is gas powered and has a glass screen so I don't think its much of a fire hazard. We also just don't really care for gravel so we are pretty set on bark of some sort, we just don't know what type. This is not really a barefoot area to begin with due to the redwood leaves/sharp things dropping from the trees onto the area. Just overwhelmed with the amount of choices of bark at the local landscape place so unsure of what to go with, and wasn't sure if certain species were less likely to fade, or at least look better when faded.

Buy a bag of several that appeal to you and spread them out and look them over.

Bark would be a good choice. BUT, the dog and you will track it into the house as it decomposes. I have a large barked area and despite the mats, it gets tracked in. You just have to sweep it up.

Be sure and put down landscape fabric first. Keeps the weeds to a minimum. Otherwise, they will grow right thru. You will have to re bark about every 2 years, due to decomp and such.

Bark and a fire pit asking for a lovely fire not all in the firepit. Use gravel it works well with firepits . As for bark mulch in a dog run that is never a good idea .

I have rubber on some of my gardens. It's very soft to walk on and seems to hold the color. Have had it down for a year. It's more expensive but you may find it worth the extra cost.

I believe it's made out of old tires - rubber mulch.

Lots of opinions here but many without any substantiation. Rubber mulch is never a good idea to add to a garden area. It will take generations to breakdown, adds nothing beneficial to soil quality and will leach heavy metals. And it is also combustible!

And wood chips and bark mulch are commonly used in dog runs!! It is easy to clean out, retards odors and is cheap. Many breeders and kennel operators use it and it is the go-to surfacing material for all the local dog parks.

I might still place the firepit on at least some sort of masonry base......just for added stability and for safety.

Poster is wanting ideas for a sitting area, not gardens.

Poster not putting rubber mulch in garden - it's a sitting area.

Good advice about a pad for fire pit. There is a company that makes them

especially for that purpose. You apparently can even use the pad on a deck.

I'll see if I can find it again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khmkOVTsupE

If the rubber mulch is in contact with the soil, then it is still a garden area even if nothing is planted. And it will leach out heavy metals and other toxic chemicals that will find their way into groundwater regardless of where applied. It also smells like used tires in the sun or with any heat....not exactly conducive to siting around a fire with the aroma of Eau de NASCAR wafting about!! Sorry, but there is really nothing positive to say about rubber mulch and no landscape designer worth their salt would recommend it.

btw, you don't have to go out and purchase a pad made specifically for fire pits. Just a few masonry slabs, bricks or pavers will do the trick at a minimal cost, if the homeowner doesn't already have a few hanging around.

ok I give. you win

I pretty much dislike weed barrier. Any amendments pretty much need to be liquid so mixed and carried in a bucket or watering can or sprayed on should you decide to plant things along the edges of this area. Also most weeds are airborne so the weed barrier does nothing for those. Also if there is any slope involved the weed barrier will not hold the mulch - it will slide off in rains. I am a Master Gardener with about 20 years experience.