Put down gravel before or after winter snow?

Question

I am putting down gravel as a drive at a lakefront cabin in Upper Michigan.  The soil is sandy and I do not need a formal driveway, just a drive path.  With lots of snow coming in winter, is it better to put down the gravel before the snow or wait until spring?  Will the deep snow help to compact the gravel or become a problem?

Carl Witthoft · Answer

Depends.
If you intend to plow the driveway in the winter, then the gravel will probably support a truck's weight better than wet sandy soil.
Similarly, if your spring is anything like Vermont's  famous  "mud season,"  if you don't have gravel down before winter, you'll have to wait until everything dries out to be able to use the driveway in the late spring.
Now, regardless of when you modify your driveway,  I strongly recommend locating a source of "star-pack" or other gravel-stone-powder mix which is designed for roadways.  It gets laid down as a loose mixture, but a few times driving over it turns it nearly as hard as concrete.   It'll last longer than plain old gravel.

Put down gravel before or after winter snow?

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