Lots of good suggestions here. One thing to keep in mind is that whatever product you use; decomposed granite, crushed rock, cinders, recycled asphalt; you want to get a product that is not uniform in size. For a footpath I would suggest you get material that is evenly graded from a maximum of 3/8" or 1/2" down to dust. The smaller material helps to bind the larger pieces together and keep them from loosening up. Otherwise your tires will soon be sinking into the path rather than floating on top. It is worth the $50 or so to rent a vibratory compactor, also known as a "vibraplate," from your local rental yard to compact your new pathway. Lay down the pathway material 2 inches at a time and vibrate each lift with the compactor for a durable finish.

There are also pathway products that come with a built in binder material that will "glue" the path together and provide a very stable surface. In my area this material is usually decomposed granite with a cellulose-based binder. This is what many of the local park districts use for high traffic pathways.

Your pathway will eventually unravel at the edges unless you confine the gravel with some sort of borders. These can be as simple as wooden 2x4s held in place with stakes.

The open-cell concrete pavers are a very nice alternative if your soil isn't so sandy that they sink into it. They tend to be labor-intensive to install.

What material you use may come down to what is available in your local building materials yard. Talk to them about what sort of "pathway mix" they sell.

The erosion control blankets won't work for your situation. They are designed to provide some protection from erosion while new plantings take hold. They are not designed to hold up to pedestrian traffic and they are designed to decompose over time.

Brent