going to be setting a pole barn this summer and its not in cards right now to have a concrete floor so I am looking for what the next best couple options are....let me know
3/4" crushed limestone will do in a pinch. If it's mostly just going to be a storage building, I'd go stone permanently. If it's going to be a shop, I'd pony up for a concrete floor. Pulling a floor jack across rock or dirt ain't much fun.
Dirt floor for the donkeys, gravel for the storage. Install the gravel properly in preparation for the concrete. No reason to waste the gravel so consider thickness and compaction as you place it. It is actually a good thing to give the future concrete area a chance to settle for a year.