Paving The Way
by AppleNButter
Paving The Way adds extra path block variants to the world, covering dirt, sand, netherrack and other terrain types, so players can build roads from more materials.
What it does
Path blocks gain new variants for common ground types. Netherrack paths are made with a pickaxe, the same way as the vanilla path blocks they resemble.
The mod runs on the server only, so players join without installing it while the server owner adds it. Files are published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge, with builds for 1.20.1 and 1.21.1; the latest Fabric and NeoForge files target 1.21.1 as of 2026-05-06, and the latest Forge file is dated 2026-04-16. The project is first published on 2025-11-22, and the code is released under All rights reserved, so it is not open source.
Key features
Rooted and packed dirt paths
Rooted Dirt, Course Dirt and Packed Mud gain path variants that can be placed and walked on like the vanilla path block.
Snowy and sand path variants
Snowy Dirt Snow and Sand Red soul variants add path blocks for colder and drier terrain.
Nether path blocks
Soul soil and Netherrack Nylium variants provide Nether paths, and Netherrack paths are made with a pickaxe.
Full list in the project notes
The author text points to a complete list of path variants, so the exact set of blocks can be checked before building.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Roads across biomes
Builders can lay path blocks that match each biome, such as snowy or sandy roads, instead of using one block everywhere.
Nether construction
Soul soil and Netherrack Nylium variants give Nether builds paths that fit the setting.
Who it’s for: Builders and server owners who want more path block options for roads, villages and terrain in survival and creative worlds on 1.21.1.
How it compares
Rooted Trees is a Fabric-only mod under the MIT License, published for 1.20.1 – 26.2, and it runs on client and server, as Paving The Way does not. Netherrack Diamond Ore is Fabric-only, published for 1.21.8 – 1.21.11 under All rights reserved, and it is not open source. Paving The Way differs from both by running on the server alone and covering path blocks rather than trees or ores.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paving The Way | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Server-side only | 2026-05-06 |
| Rooted Trees | Fabric | 1.20.1 – 26.2 | Client and server | 2026-07-22 |
| Netherrack Diamond Ore | Fabric | 1.21.8 – 1.21.11 | Client and server | 2026-03-23 |
Questions
Which loaders does Paving The Way support?
Does a player need Paving The Way on the client?
Can the author's issue tracker be used for reports?
In the catalog
Paving The Way is one of 8,515 World generation mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,027 World generation mods for Fabric. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.
More from AppleNButter
Similar mods
What the author says
Paving the way adds more path block variants to the game for various types of terrarin blocks in the game from dirt and podzol to netherrack and nylium. The complete list: - Dirt - Course Dirt - Rooted Dirt - Snowy Dirt & Snow - Podzol - Mycelium - Sand (Red & soul variants) - Gravel - Mud - Packed Mud - Soul soil …
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/paving-the-way
- Owner
- AppleNButter
- Published
- 2025-11-22
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-05-06
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15