My community garden gets wood chips delivered several time/year for the paths. We have worked out a nice relationship with the city and with local tree pruning companies so that they deliver loads of chips to us for free! Each gardener is responsible for removing weeds on the paths surrounding his/her plot, and for helping to spread the wood chips. The chips do a pretty good job supressing the weeds.

We also have woodchips delivered for free. And, after a few years, the weeds really aren't very strong. Only thing to watch for is the introduction of non-native invasive plants coming in with the wood chips. Where are you, Carrie? I'm in Roxboro.

If there are already weeds or grass in the areas where you wnt to put the paths, mow it as short as you can get it but don't bother pulling or digging it up. Then lay down cardboard or newspaper (a whole section at a time) on top of the grass, spraying it lightly with water to keep it down. Put the wood chips (or other mulch) on top. The newspaper suppresses the weeds and also provides a template for where to apply the mulch (and for some reason it seems to help keep the mulch in place somewhat.)

If having the paths be wheelchair accessible is part of the goal, then you probably will want to dig a little to level the area. Use a roller to compact it, or at least get some friends to help you trample it down. Then lay the paper down so that the length of the page is the width of the path, if you know what I mean. That'll be just barely wide enough for a chair. If your paths are going to be permanent, you could use a thin layer of pea gravel as the mulch; that would be a little easier to roll over.

Newspaper has been effective for surpressing weeds in my flower garden. Laid thickly and covered with some type of mulch to keep it in place, the only stray weeds that come through are at the edges of the paths which isn't difficult to tidy up.
Good Luck!
Sandy

Another thing to be concerned about is the chips from pruning companies not bringing dieases along with their product. Make sure why they took down the trees etc.. first. You could put down cardboard or newspaper then mulch and not have much of a weed problem.