I'm not sure what you mean by a "stone walkway". We have a flagstone (set in mortar) main pathway in the "Near 40" (house side of the creek) part of the garden. The deer here have no problems walking on that! They also don't seem to mind the stone staircase on the other side of the bridge, nor the stepping stones on the rustic paths over there in the "Back 40". They also didn't mind the brick walkway and patio behind my sheds (my utility and potting area and incoming daylily area); they all but destroyed the property line hedge back there (and enjoyed side salads of daylilies) until we put up wire fencing. We also have a large stone patio outside our master bedroom and the dining room/media room; they have been up on that patio several times, to eat the potted daylilies and potted
Pelargonium flowers.
That is interesting, though, about the gravel...but we're not about to put gravel in here!
rant on/ We took OUT obnoxious pea gravel pathways in the side yard when we moved in, and as we installed irrigation and built up raised beds there, stupidly let our contractor talk us into "gravel fines" pathways there, and on some "rustic" stairs at one end of the garden (going down to the creek). I hate the stuff! The fines get tracked into the house unless I am wearing my garden clogs and promptly take them off (and the fines tracked indoors have damaged our wood floor). The dust/dirt gets all over my feet when I wear the garden clogs, the pathways (and rustic steps) turn to mud during the rainy season, and weeds take root in it! Grrrrr.
/rant off
No Gravel!
