What mulch should I use?

I'm struggling to come up with the best mulch to use in my heavily wooded lot. Everything I've tried ends up buried in needles and leaves. What do you use that you can rake off in the fall and spring without having to replace ALL of it? I don't like the look of just rock. Thanks for your suggestions!

I use coarse wood mulch delivered by the cubic yard for garden beds.
I use hardwood chips to delineate the paths through my woodland.
Then in the fall, I rake them into the garden beds.
I also shred the fallen leaves into a great mulch which I replace into the woodland.
This helps keep my woodland wildflowers from being smothered by downed leaves,
yet allows the nutrients to be recycled into the soil.