Xeriscape Gravel Yard with Concrete Pad at Bear Lake

Bear Lake properties have a lot going for them - big views, open space, and that relaxed outdoor feel. But keeping a yard looking decent when you're not there full-time? That's where things get tricky. Grass doesn't take care of itself, and a muddy, unfinished yard can work against everything else the property has going for it.

That's exactly why xeriscape made sense here. We cleared and graded the yard, laid down a solid bed of gravel throughout, and used natural boulders to define the edges and hold everything in place. No irrigation. No mowing. No season-to-season maintenance headache. Just a clean, finished look that holds up year after year.

The concrete pad at the garage ties the whole thing together. It gives you a hard surface right where you need it - for parking, unloading, or setting up a basketball hoop - while the gravel handles everything around it. That combination of hardscape and xeriscape is something we lean into a lot on properties like this. It's practical and it looks good.

What really sets this one apart is the backdrop. With Bear Lake sitting right out in front and the mountains framing the whole scene, the last thing you want is a yard fighting for attention. Keeping the ground simple and low-profile lets the landscape do the talking. That's the whole idea with xeriscape - work with the setting, not against it.