I've seen gravel used around fire pits quite a bit, and honestly, heat retention hasn't been a huge issue in my experience. Sure, it gets warm, but not enough to make cleanup noticeably harder. Just let things cool down overnight, and by morning it's usually fine to handle. But your point about drainage is spot-on...gravel definitely helps avoid puddles after rain, which is a big plus. Sounds like you're thinking this through pretty well!
"Just let things cool down overnight, and by morning it's usually fine to handle."
Totally agree with this. When we built our fire pit last summer, I was a bit paranoid about safety too (first-time homeowner nerves, lol). Here's what worked for us: after the fire dies down, spread out the embers a bit with a poker or shovel—helps them cool faster. Gravel's been great for drainage, but we also added a metal ring liner inside the pit itself...just an extra layer of peace-of-mind. Haven't had any issues yet, fingers crossed!
