On my woodland paths, the wood chips seem to be holding better than the gravel. That said, the woodchips are newer and that path less steep.

If there is enough pooling water on top the path that causes your mulch to wash away, then that same water will bring soil/organic particles that will settle on and into the gravel, combined with the gravel sinking into the grade, will require topping periodically. But, it shouldn't wash away.

Gravel will not have any effect on plant roots. The problem will be keeping muck out of the gravel. An organic material would be better. We've discussed elsewhere ways of stopping your mulch from washing away by using denser planting.

Yes I plan on doing that with my beds but my actual path is an issue as well. The washout on my path isn’t just from water sloping down from my beds but rain hitting it straight down on the path itself causes the washout. I also considered 1 inch plastic edging to prevent any mulch or organic stuff on my beds to go on the path. Not sure if that is a good idea or not.

How long have these paths been down? Have they been trodden down much? I’m surprised they can be washed out by normal rainfall.

Why not put down stepping stones? HD and Lowes sell many 16"x16" and 12"X12" bricks. They won't hurt anything if spaced out a little. They actually help by keeping the ground wet. Whenever I lift an old stepping stone, there are lots of roots growing under them.

They’ve been down since 2021 of April and I’ve had to rerake/add more after every heavy rain however many times that is. I do walk on it pretty often but certain areas less. My property is just odd with flooding..

I’ve considered stepping stones before but with my 4ftx100ft path that will be quite costly. The mulch around the stones will end up washing away either ways.

Grass. At least until the trees grow large enough to shade it out. It's cheap. It doesn't wash away. It's easy to walk on.

All our woodland paths are hemlock bark mulch now, over the underlying packed clay soil. Initally we used 1/3 ’concrete’ sand and 2/3 pinebark mulch. In stretches with drainage issues, we used ’crusher run’ gravel topped with pine bark - the color of bark looks better than gravel. All bark mulch will break down with time so the paths are remulched every three years.

Yea you are right, after looking at my stone carefully again last night the color is so bright that it will detract the actual garden from it.. but I have all that stone leftover waiting to be used for something. Gonna have to give it a careful thought on this before I do it. Do any of you use those 1 inch plastic edgers for the path? While I thought it would prevent mulch washoff can it also trap water from running off where it's supposed to go and cause additional floods?

I also considered 1 inch plastic edging

==>> the only thing worse in the gardening world.. than stone.. eeek.. is plastic ... yikes ..

i like the stepping stone idea ...

work towards using ground cover that can be walked on .. its probably our only viable long term option ...

i have some sedums i used to walk thru ... vinca will take the abuse.. but will trip you ... perhaps a new post on such...

ken

I looked back in my 2014 picture files that have pictures of what we did on paths with gravel and mulch....:

May 19 2014 with gravel down in area needing improved drainage:

May 20 2014 with mulch topping to blend in:

June 18 2014 after heavy rain washed off some mulch - but a quick pass with a spring-tine rake repaired it quickly....

I no longer use any edging between beds and paths - largely because now most of the paths are between the beds and any remaining grass which makes it easier to keep the path clear of grass and weeds, especially with remulching every few years.

Seems like some good amount of labor first putting down gravel then mulch all over the same path again. But got it on the edging, I will not get one. Saves me like 200$. I'll just have to keep raking back the mulch and adding 2-3 bags after every heavy rain. Since you still get washouts after a heavy rain even with gravel under I guess I will take your example and just stick with plain mulch for my path.

This is the gravel/stone I currently have btw. I think it will look a little unforesty if I use that for the path right?

It's fine. The colors are typical river rock colors in my area - perfect for a woodland; not sure where you are. I think that's much prettier than solid gray or dark gray.

It is entirely possible to use a gravel which can be compressed to form permanent paths. In the UK, a common choice is Bredon Gold, which is used in all the National Trust properties. One paths are edged, gravel is laid then compressed with a whackerplate. The particle lock into place and still look entirely acceptable in a woodland landscape. No need for landscape membrane either.

Our local cemetery had all the paths relaid. The edging was simply 4 x 1inch timber, held in place with 2 foot timber stakes...which also allowed for the timber edging to be bent to a degree, creating a less architecturally formal look. The gravel was laid to a depth of 3 inches. A fair bit of work but will last forever, even with heavy public footfall.

I can’t agree with ken more….. the problem is when you DON’T want it anymore. When neighbors put in a fence, the post was placed in concrete, and they also used gravel with that. It spilled over to my garden bed. Been trying to remove it since. 😝

debra

In honesty, I have tried all sorts of stuff for allotment paths and in the wood, (especially if basically free) and have generally gone for grass. I enjoy the gentle strimming (unlike the vicious brush-cutting in the wood) and as all the actual beds are edged with timber, little grass paths have been the easiest and cheapest solution,

We use cedar wood chips on paths. Never had an issue with it getting washed away, and we get lots of rain. It gets refreshed every few years.

My woodland paths are naturally created and maintained by dog and human feet. I used to mulch them but it washed out too easily and no way would I scatter gravel- it will sink over time. So my paths are simply bare soil and moss now. I do have a few clearly delineated "walk here" type spots at entry points, but nothing beyond that. This stepping off entry points may be bricks, pavers, or flat stones.

I myself would use the most indigenous material possible for your footing and make the most of what is already there. If you can, gather and chip any fallen branches and yard debris to create a mulch from your own land. See if your local landscaping yard has chips or barkdust local to your area. This way, instead of introducing something unnatural to your woodland, you augment what is already there.

Be sure to visit your state and county forests and parks and hike the trails to see what they have done to create safe paths. You'll find excellent ideas such as how to prevent water runoff from washing out trails and how to prevent erosion. YouTube has some fabulous videos on how national forests and parks do this.

I am in the process of creating trails through our NW Oregon evergreen forest and deciduous woodland acreage, with the goal of impacting nature as little as possible while creating a safe, enjoyable means of "forest bathing" in our bit of heaven.

Our hillside trails through the mature Douglas Firs have forest duff for their footing, which mother nature generously replenishes. I move aside sticks and branches big enough to create trip hazards or ankle rolls, but leave cones, twigs and small debris to compost in place. I use large branches and fallen trunks to edge the trail. These help prevent erosion and protect sensitive areas, and pulling them into place takes the place of a gym membership!

At the bottom of our hill lies a more open woodland filled with vine maples and alders and a dense ground cover of Mahonia (Oregon Grape) and moss. This area has been far more difficult work. Off the trail, the thicket is left wild, but putting a trail through meant cutting through Mahonia stems thick enough to form small trees and protruding roots that still manage to trip me. The footing on the trail is moss and leaf mold. Drainage is excellent, so the ever-present Oregon rain doesn't collect to create a muddy mess, but steeper sections will require cutting primitive steps, following the methods of hiking trail experts.

I have to laugh at myself, since running my own home-based business and having horses, dogs, and gardens mean I always have work to do. Still, I cannot resist the urge to go "play" in the woods. I meant to do my work today...

Understandably, each to their own, though I have never liked the sound or feel of loose gravel under my feet, and especially dislike it used upon wide expanses of courtyards and parking areas. Small crushed grey slate or shale I have utilized a bit of and rather like it within my garden and those of others. Finer wood chips I like as well,

We used to use bark mulch on our small pathway between the driveway and the back gate. We have been experimenting with wood chips the last couple of years. i found a product that produces smaller and more consistent size bark chips and while I prefer the mulch - the bark chips last much longer.

We have level ground there, so it has never washed away, but we do get standing water briefly on that pathway after a heavy rain and it used to shift the mulch around. But...I guess I haven't noticed anything wrong since we changed to the chips.