Choosing the right landscape rock comes down to three questions: what job does it need to do — pathway, ground cover, slope stabilization, or accent — what size and type fits that job, and how it holds up on Highland’s rockier bench soil and larger lots. Get those three right and the color and budget decisions get much easier. Here’s how to work through each one before you order for your Highland yard.
It’s tempting to shop by color first, but rock that looks right and fails at its job ends up redone within a couple of years. Start with what the area actually needs to do.
For pathways and general ground cover, a small, rounded material like Pea Gravel 3/8″ Minus stays comfortable underfoot and drains well. For xeriscape beds replacing turf, a blended crushed material like Valley Blend Crushed covers ground efficiently and locks in place better than loose round stone. For slope stabilization — a real consideration on Highland’s foothill-adjacent lots — larger material like Bonneville Boulders resists washout in a way small gravel simply can’t. For a decorative accent or focal point near an entry or water feature, a distinct cobble or blend like Lavender Cobble or Gray Moon does the visual work small utility gravel can’t.
| Rock Type | Size | Best For | Starting Price |
| Pea Gravel 3/8″ Minus | Small, rounded | Pathways, ground cover, play areas | $78 |
| Valley Blend Crushed | Small–medium, crushed | Pathways, drainage areas, xeriscape beds | $115 |
| Southern Rose | Medium, decorative | Accent beds, higher-end curb appeal | $165 |
| Lavender Cobble | Medium–large cobble | Accent beds, borders, focal points | $160 |
| Gray Moon | Medium–large, decorative | Accent beds, contemporary look | $185 |
| Bonneville Boulders | Large boulders | Slope anchors, foothill-lot erosion control | $135 |
Prices shown are DIY Landscape Supply’s current starting prices and can change — confirm exact pricing and quantity at checkout or by phone.
Highland’s east bench soil is shallower and rockier than the Utah Valley floor, and a meaningful share of Highland properties sit close enough to the foothills to deal with real slope. That combination pushes a lot of Highland yards toward larger material than a flatland Utah County lot would need — Bonneville Boulders anchor slopes and resist washout in a way pea gravel can’t, so they’re a common choice on foothill-adjacent lots.
Lot size matters too. Highland’s larger lots mean rock projects are bought at bulk scale — bag math from a hardware store rarely pencils out once you’re covering several hundred square feet. It’s also part of why higher-end decorative material like Southern Rose, Gray Moon, and Lavender Cobble shows up often in Highland accent beds: the scale of the property supports a more distinct material rather than a single generic gravel doing every job in the yard.
Rock is permanent, low-maintenance, and well-suited to slopes, pathways, and dry xeriscape zones — it doesn’t break down and never needs replacing. What it doesn’t do is add organic matter or retain moisture the way mulch does, which matters most around new or young plantings that benefit from a soil-building material.
Most well-planned Highland yards end up using both: mulch in active planting beds where plants are still establishing, and rock on pathways, slopes, and low-water accent areas where permanence matters more than moisture retention. Deciding this bed-by-bed, rather than picking one material for the whole yard, usually gives the better result.
Cost varies widely by rock type — from around $78 for Pea Gravel up to $185 or more for premium decorative blends like Gray Moon, based on current pricing. Bulk delivery avoids the trailer runs and per-bag markup of a hardware store purchase, but the exact tonnage you need depends on the square footage and depth of each area.
For a full walkthrough of how to calculate exactly how much rock to order, see our landscape rock quantity guide — the math works the same whether you’re in Eagle Mountain or Highland.
Call DIY Landscape Supply at (385) 321-3341 or request a quote online, and our team will help you settle on the right rock type and quantity for your Highland project. We deliver in bulk directly to your address — no yard pickup required.
It depends on the job: Pea Gravel or Valley Blend Crushed for pathways and ground cover, Southern Rose, Gray Moon, or Lavender Cobble for accent beds, and Bonneville Boulders for foothill-adjacent slopes.
It depends on square footage and depth — generally, one ton covers roughly 80–100 square feet at 3 inches deep. See our quantity calculator guide for the full breakdown, or call us with your measurements.
Pea gravel is small and rounded, so it stays loose and comfortable underfoot — good for pathways and play areas. Crushed rock has angular edges that lock together, which holds it in place better on slopes and drainage areas.
Yes, especially larger material. Boulders and heavier cobble resist washout in a way small gravel can’t. For a deeper look at boulder types and costs, see our landscape boulders guide.
Both have a place. Rock suits slopes, pathways, and low-water xeriscape zones where permanence matters most. Mulch suits active planting beds where moisture retention and soil building matter more than permanence.
Yes — it’s common to use one type for pathways and a different, more decorative type for accent beds, as long as the transition between them is defined with edging so the materials don’t migrate into each other.
Generally, yes. Because rock is permanent and doesn’t get refreshed like mulch, a weed barrier underneath makes a meaningful difference in how much maintenance the area needs down the road.