36 Retaining Wall Ideas Perfect for Optimizing Sloped Backyards

Retaining walls help to fortify sloped backyards (and front or side yards) against soil erosion and make it easier to add landscaping ranging from green grass to plants, wildflowers, rock gardens, outdoor staircases, or water features.

Whether your backyard is a gently sloping lawn, rolling hills, or a steep patch of untamed rocks and dirt, these retaining wall ideas for sloped backyards in a range of styles and settings will help you to optimize your landscape design and make your outdoor space more beautiful and usable.

Boulder Retaining Wall

Reflecting the surrounding mountain terrain, JLF Architects and Big-D Signature used boulders to create a retaining wall between the main house and garage/guest quarters of this Park City, UT. A newly constructed wall made of remnant stone on the other side of the smaller building adds a sense of history to the property.

Bucolic Retaining Wall

This lushly planted sloping backyard from Crisp Architects includes a stone staircase and retaining wall that lends it a bucolic feel.

Desert Retaining Wall

This Palm Springs backyard pool area from Michelle Boudreau Design has a retaining wall with a stepped stucco edge that creates a focal point on the sloped periphery. The slope is planted with a spare selection of desert-friendly vegetation and complemented with palm trees and privacy hedges.

Multi-Level Retaining Wall

Stacked gray stone adds texture to this tiered backyard retaining wall from KG Designs, planted with green plants and white and purple flowers that soften the modern Seattle backyard patio and outdoor living space.

Local Stone Retaining Wall

JLF Architects built a retaining wall to protect the downstairs patio space from water runoff on this sloping site in Hudson River Valley, NY. The retaining wall is built from large rocks and landscaped with stacked soil beds that echo the natural setting and local stone.

Curved Retaining Wall

Retaining walls follow the curves of the gently sloping green lawn of this charming old home renovation from Crisp Architects to create an organic feel.

Steep Retaining Wall

Sloped retaining walls on either side of the staircase leading downhill to the pool area add structure to this large and lushly landscaped Mediterranean hillside property from Fantastic Frank.

Retaining Wall for Trees

This sloped side yard retaining wall from Light and Dwell is planted with young trees, while edged beds beneath it are filled with shrubs to line the footpath.

Flagstone Retaining Wall

This Southern California backyard patio from Leanne Ford Interiors is made possible by a flagstone retaining wall that flows seamlessly into a built-in outdoor banquette and flooring in the same finish for a cohesive look.

Double Retaining Walls

Martha O'Hara Interiors created a smooth transition between this Lake Minnetonka, MN home and its sloping manicured lawns by having a series of retaining walls around a pair of staircases.

Retaining Wall and Fountain

This raised backyard patio from Lady Landscape is planted with ivy, greenery, and flowers, structured by stone steps and a pair of retaining walls that separate it from the back deck. An integrated retaining wall fountain that spills into a lily pond between the two spaces adds a whimsical water feature.

Floral Retaining Wall

Contrasting organic and manmade materials, this stone retaining wall lining the glass-walled staircase of this backyard pool from Fantastic Frank provides a place for multi-colored flowers to bloom.

Triple Retaining Walls

Triple retaining walls help structure this sprawling backyard from Crisp Architects and create an easy transition between the back porch and the outdoor patio on the gently sloping lawn below.

Hillside Retaining Wall

A series of modern, concrete multi-level retaining walls allow for generous landscaping that maximizes the steep and dense lot of this Southern California hillside home from The Home Consultant.

Landscaped Retaining Walls

A large palm tree is planted on a section of this sprawling hilly back lawn from Fantastic Frank that is structured by a stone retaining wall that matches the facade of the home.

Patio Retaining Wall

A retaining wall helped turn this backyard space from Afro Bohemian Living into a flourishing garden planted with white, pink, and purple flowers of varying heights to add texture. The retaining wall also serves as a back for a wooden bench that adds extra seating.

Modern Retaining Wall

A series of retaining walls that mimic the clean lines of this Austin, TX home from Martha O'Hara Interiors help to integrate it into the contours of the existing hilltop lot.

Curved Retaining Wall

A wrap-around retaining wall follows the curves of this gently sloping backyard pool area from Fantastic Frank, planted with Mediterranean trees and vegetation that befit the Spanish island setting.

Slightly Sloped Wall

This small rustic boulder retaining wall from Amy Leferink of Interior Impressions helps to integrate the two-story home into the existing lot while providing a place to landscape the outdoor patio with gravel, flowers, plants, and mulch.

Sloped Lawn Retaining Wall

A vivid patch of green lawn is planted inside a bright white retaining wall that matches the modern style of this Southern California home perched above the street from The Home Consultant.

Driveway Retaining Wall

A low retaining wall lines the long, sloping driveway of this hillside property from Fantastic Frank, giving grass, trees, and plants a chance to grow without inhibiting flow.

Wood and Stone Retaining Wall

This tiered wood and stone retaining wall from Fantastic Frank is generously planted to give it an organic and integrated feel.

Stepped Retaining Wall

The retaining wall on the periphery of this Ibiza backyard pool area from Fantastic Frank adds structure to the outdoor space and protects the lawn and pool deck.

Vegetable Garden Retaining Wall

The Home Consultant restructured the slightly sloping backyard of this Southern California home to include a retaining wall along one side of the fence for a fledgling vegetable garden. Keeping the retaining wall low to the ground helps keep the price down.

Double Retaining Wall

A double landscaped retaining wall creates a transition between the back patio of this contemporary home from Brophy Interiors and the steep drop to the flat lawn below.

Staircase Retaining Wall

The sloping backyard of this property from Fantastic Frank has multiple levels, including a reclaimed wood and rock retaining wall lining the staircase leading to an open-air deck.

Raised Deck and Steps

Turn a severely sloped backyard into an opportunity to build in a special feature. Seed Studio Landscape Design turned the unusable summit of a sloped San Francisco backyard into a staircase leading to a destination deck with views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Multi-Level Stone Walls

Make a gently sloping backyard more usable by building a series of multi-level patios.

Kate Marker Interiors created several zones in this spacious backyard that are united by rustic stacked stone walls.

Deck Steps

The timber steps leading to the upper deck of this sloping backyard from Seed Studio Landscape Design wind through a retaining wall planted to create a habitat for insects and native pollinators.

Large-Scale Boulders

Use large-scale boulders to create a dramatic retaining wall in a spacious backyard. Kate Marker Interiors added a rustic note to this lush green farmhouse backyard with a retaining wall and central staircase leading to a fire pit conversation area.

Mixed Retaining Wall

Give your retaining wall a wild and natural feel with mixed plantings and materials. KG Designs planted the retaining wall in this sloping backyard in South Puget Sound, WA with a mix of garden styles inspired by English country, Northwest native, and Southern California to honor their clients' favorites.

Sloped Backyard Terraces

Work around a sloped backyard by installing two-tiered terraces. Seed Studio Landscape Design built a redwood terrace for dining and a lower stone terrace with a fire pit and lounge space in the shade of two existing maple trees, creating a usable entertaining space in this Northern California backyard that is filled in with succulents and ferns that thrive in the shade.

Steps and Pathways

Vary steps and pathways on your sloping backyard retaining wall for an organic feel. KG Designs mixed natural flagstone landings with natural basalt steps and crushed rock walkways in this sloped backyard landscape design.

Retaining Wall Banquette

In a steeply sloped backyard, turn the retaining wall into a multipurpose space with the addition of a banquette.

Seed Studio Landscape Design worked around an existing retaining wall to build a custom dining area in this lushly planted backyard space.

Retaining Wall Lighting

Use landscape lighting to make your sloped backyard come alive at night. Seed Studio Landscape Design lit the retaining walls and landscaping on either side of a central staircase outfitted with an adjustable color lighting system that is decorative and practical to create an atmospheric after dark feel that makes the space usable day and night.

Mixed Material Retaining Wall

Create an organic feel in a sloping backyard by using mixed materials. Kate Marker Interiors built retaining walls with a combination of stacked stones and boulders that are more rustic than the adjacent white stucco patio walls, with ground cover plantings and bushes to create a natural feel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you do with a steep sloped backyard?

A steep sloped backyard can be structured with retaining walls that will hold back soil erosion and allow you to plant vegetation or flowers. Adding integrated steps or staircases will make it easier to navigate between levels so that the outdoor space is more user-friendly. You can also take advantage of a steep sloped backyard to build in a water feature such as a waterfall.

How do you landscape a sloped backyard on a budget?

To cover a sloped backyard without breaking the budget, you can plant creeping ground cover plants, use existing boulders to build a rock garden, or erect a footpath that will make it easier to move up and down the slope.

Read Next: How to Garden on a Slope: 12 Ideas for Hillsides

Read the original article on The Spruce.