The Ultimate Guide to Gravel for Landscaping Projects

When it comes to outdoor home improvement projects, the spotlight often shines on impressive slate pathways and beautifully laid brick patios. But there’s another material that deserves recognition: gravel. This humble hardscaping element earns high marks for its versatility, durability, permeability, and affordability.

From naturally tumbled pebbles to man-made crushed stone, gravel comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, making it suitable for almost any project. It’s an accessible option for both beginners and seasoned DIY enthusiasts, and when you're ready for a change, you can easily swap it out for a new look. The ease with which gravel can be replaced makes it a flexible choice for evolving landscape designs.

But with so many options to choose from, how do you determine which type of gravel is the right fit for your front yard or backyard project? Let's explore some of the most popular types of gravel and discover their unique applications.

Popular Types of Gravel

The type of rock, size, and finish of the gravel can vary widely, so your location will often dictate availability and cost. Below are some of the most commonly used and widely available types of gravel across the U.S., perfect for various landscaping projects.

River Jack

River jack is a type of river rock known for its smooth, tumbled stones in soft earth tones. This gravel typically comes in mixed sizes, ranging from large rounded stones to small pebbles. While river jack’s natural look is visually appealing, its rounded shape makes it less stable for areas with heavy foot traffic. It’s a fantastic option for decorative features, garden beds, or as an accent around water elements.

Mexican Beach Pebble

Mexican beach pebble is another smooth and attractive natural stone option, known for its well-tumbled appearance. Available in a variety of sizes and colors, this gravel is an excellent choice for ornamental ground cover or low-traffic areas. Like river jack, its smooth surface isn’t ideal for walkways or patios, but it shines in decorative landscaping, such as around fountains, in Zen gardens, or as a striking accent along the edges of pathways.

Rip Rap

Rip rap consists of large, angular stones often used for erosion control and structural support. It’s a popular choice in coastal areas, as it can withstand harsh weather conditions while allowing water to flow through. Rip rap is commonly used for retaining walls, along shorelines, or as a buffer for steep slopes. While its rough texture makes it unsuitable for walkways, its durability makes it an essential material for protective landscaping features.

3/4-1.5" Construction Gravel

Looking for a budget-friendly option? Construction gravel, often used in building projects, is a durable and cost-effective choice for landscaping. Its irregular, crushed finish provides excellent stability, making it a good fit for paths, patios, parking areas, and even as a sturdy base for concrete or pavers. Though it may not be as polished as other gravels, construction gravel offers functional appeal with the added benefit of strong drainage.

Decomposed Granite

It turns out that finely crushing a common landscape rock creates one of the most versatile hardscaping materials out there. Decomposed granite—or “DG”—is finer than gravel but more stable (and mud-free) than dirt, making it an ideal material for patios, driveways, paths, mulch, and more.

It’s pleasantly soft underfoot, but the tradeoff is that it tends to stick to feet and follow you indoors. Newer varieties include stabilizing agents to help it stay where you put it, but be sure you know which variety you’re using before you use DG to build a path right to your front door!

Pea Gravel

Pea gravel’s small, smooth size (typically between 1/4 to 3/8 inches) makes it comfortable to walk on, while its range of color options adds aesthetic versatility. Perfect for everything from dog runs to modern patios, pea gravel creates a relatively stable surface that’s soft underfoot. However, due to its lightweight nature, pea gravel tends to shift under heavy use. Be sure to install proper edging to keep the gravel contained, and rake it back into place as needed.

Gravel Landscaping Ideas

Gravel is an incredibly versatile ground cover and construction material with a wide range of landscaping applications from casual gravel backyard ideas to contemporary pea gravel landscaping. The possibilities are limitless, but we’ll give you a head start—these are some of our favorite ways to use gravel in our landscape designs.

Walkways

No landscape design is complete without a beautiful and functional path. While laying stone or brick walkways can be labor-intensive, gravel offers a simple, budget-friendly alternative. Whether you’re creating a front yard path or a winding garden trail, gravel is a DIY-friendly option. Just remember to install sturdy edging to prevent the stones from spreading onto your lawn or garden beds.

Filling in Around Pavers

If you love the look of pavers but want to keep a permeable surface, you can easily fill the space between your pavers with a layer of gravel. Depending on the pavers and gravel you choose, a paver and gravel path can look rustic or modern. This can be a good choice for people who like the smooth finish of stone or pavers but want to make sure their path has good drainage.

Patios

You might think of patios as a classic poured concrete area with a set of patio furniture on top, but you have a lot of options when it comes to patio landscaping. Gravel can be one of the simplest and most cost effective material options, creating a stone patio area to place your fire pit without needing to do any masonry. There are plenty of gorgeous pea gravel patio ideas out there—just be sure to lay a good edging around your patio area. 

Driveways

A driveway is a necessity for most but also often an unfortunate eyesore. Dirt turns to mud and asphalt cracks harsh winters, but gravel can be a perfect option if you’re looking to redo your driveway. It makes a stable driveway material that will stand up to common wear and tear, and it’s easy to top up your driveway with a sprinkle of gravel in the spring if the plow truck shifts some in the winter.

Garden Beds

Gravel is great groundcover, which means it can also be excellent mulch. Using stones around the base of trees, ornamental plants, and even hardy garden vegetables is one of our favorite gravel garden ideas. Stone mulch won’t break down, can have a beautiful finish, and discourages pest activity.

Drainage Solutions

We’ve talked a lot about the virtues of gravel as a permeable ground cover solution because it is a perfect option for areas that experience a great deal of rain and runoff. If you have areas of your landscape that tend to pool water, consider swapping out any impermeable groundcover for a gravel path or mulch to help that rainwater become groundwater in a hurry. Watch the areas of your landscaping that are prone to holding water and use your gravel as needed—no need to have a full gravel lawn.

Gravel is a versatile, budget-friendly material with endless possibilities. Whether you’re dreaming of a charming gravel patio, a stable driveway, or a decorative garden bed, gravel can bring your landscaping ideas to life. What are your favorite ways to incorporate gravel into your landscape design?

Here's some inspiration: 

Gravel around raised planters in a Bower & Branch design 

Gravel for a side yard / dog run in a Bower & Branch design 

Gravel in a fire pit nook 

Gravel to create less lawn

Gravel fire pit nook 

Gravel between pavers 

Southwestern gravel design 

Gravel fire pit nook