Gravel Walkway Calculator
A path is a long, narrow strip — enter it as length × width. Pre-set to pea gravel at 2½ inches, the standard walking surface; the result includes bag counts, since many paths are weekend bag-and-wheelbarrow projects.
Walkway specifics
Paths differ from patios in geometry more than materials: long and narrow means modest volumes that often fall near the bag/bulk crossover. A 3-foot-wide, 40-foot path at 2½ inches of pea gravel is 120 ft² × 0.208 ft = 25 ft³ = 0.93 yd³ ≈ 1.4 tons — about 50 bags, which is exactly the size where a $-per-bag trip to the store starts losing badly to a small bulk delivery.
Winding paths: either approximate with the total-area input, or run each straight section separately and add. For a path that will carry wheelbarrows or frequent foot traffic, #67 crushed stone over a 2" compacted base wears better than round pea gravel.
Walkway gravel FAQ
How wide should a gravel path be?
A comfortable single-person garden path is 3–4 feet wide; two people side by side want 5–6 feet. Wider paths need proportionally more gravel — the calculator turns any width and length into quantities.
How deep should gravel be for a walkway?
2–3 inches of pea gravel or crushed stone over landscape fabric is typical. Deeper than 3 inches feels like walking on a beach; shallower than 2 inches lets fabric show through as gravel migrates.
What keeps gravel in place on a path?
Rigid edging (steel, brick, stone, paver) plus landscape fabric underneath. Without edging, round gravel spills into lawns and beds; without fabric, it sinks into soft soil over a season.