Modular Trail Structures

Day 1 of ASLA is a wrap. If you didn't get a chance to visit us today plan to stop at booth #1008 tomorrow. See you there!

We are on our way to ASLA 2026! If you are attending, make sure to visit Brian, Deb and Jay at Booth #1008 to learn more about how Modular Trail Structures can enhance your next project.

Love seeing the posts from visitors enjoying the boardwalk we built at the Theordore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da2p7NGNqWq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

A landscape’s legibility can benefit from an orderly frame. The Roosevelt Library’s boardwalk navigates the bluff-top terrain, guiding body and eye with perceptual intent. It might say that our collective inability to see the world is the central issue of our time: Look! Feel! Slow down! Step outside yourself into the grasses, forbs, soils, and creatures only just beyond. The boardwalk makes these requests gently, a safe universally accessible datum that draws the landscape into focus. It’s a walk upon a frame. Within that frame lies 12 football fields worth of restored grassland. This grassland, like all of North America nature, is a cultural medium. An ever-becoming play between present and past land use histories, climactic, geologic, and ecological forces. The grassland is enhanced by nearly 200 hand collected and propagated badlands specific species, relying upon millennia of genetic tailoring to thrive within this stark terrain. It is built upon salvaged top soils scraped from the footprint of the building and inoculated with locally collected mycorrhizae. Its long term shaping will come from ritual and use over decades to come, drawing upon indigenous practices, applied ecological science, and North Dakota ranching know-how. Rotational grazing, haying, controlled burns, and monitoring of wildlife and carbon will adaptively shape the terrain and be a model for conservation of the entire bioregion the project rests within. If the vista to TR’s namesake national park to the north is a tribute to his historic legacy, this working, seeing landscape is a promise to his legacy’s future, carried forth by the library foundation. A true collective approach to making a library that is the landscape, with incredible trust and leadership by @trlibrary and key contributions by: - @snohetta landscape architects and honorary landscape architects @michdelk @k.marsh @craigdykers @chaot7c - The amazing applied ecologists, growers, and installers @resusa1 - Local tireless landscape teammates @thinkconfluence - @ndsu_ladrem for learning and ag extension propagation - Brian and his @modulartrailstructures team with @jedunnconstruction for building the impossible

One month to go! We’re getting excited to see everyone at ALSA 2026 in Los Angeles!

Make plans to visit us at Booth #1008. We can’t wait to connect, catch up, and share what’s new with our team.

See you there!

Built to invite you to stay awhile.

At the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, the boardwalk through the Badlands isn’t simply a path from Point A to Point B. It was designed as an opportunity to slow down, experience the outdoors, and take in the landscape—and the custom benches built by Modular Trail Structures are an important part of that experience.

Designed to follow the sweeping curves of the boardwalk, each of the eight benches is truly one of a kind. Some stretch 40–50 feet and feature tiered, bleacher-style seating, with complex geometry, sloped sections, and multiple compound miter cuts.

The challenge? Making each bench feel as though it naturally grew from the boardwalk itself. Every bench had to match the radius of its location, seamlessly align with the deck boards, blend into the surrounding landscape, and—most importantly—provide a comfortable place to sit and take it all in.

That level of customization required precision fabrication, meticulous carpentry, extensive sanding, and careful installation. No two benches are the same.

The result is more than seating. These benches are functional works of art—custom-crafted pieces that become part of the landscape while giving visitors a place to pause, relax, and experience the Badlands.

Eight benches. Eight unique designs. One unforgettable setting.

Engineering meets artistry at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

Modular Trail Structures is proud to have built the boardwalk bridge that does far more than connect the boardwalk—its create an unforgettable experience.

The bridge was constructed from weathering structural steel and supported by massive tubular beams on concrete footings. Its sweeping, fully radiused design required 20 unique modules, each precisely fabricated and assembled to create a seamless curved structure.

One of its most distinctive features is the integrated hammock-style play netting. Three 20' x 20' openings invite visitors to stop, relax, and experience the landscape from a completely different perspective. Designing a bridge that could safely support these expansive openings while maintaining structural integrity required innovative engineering and meticulous attention to detail.

Building in the rugged Badlands presented its own challenges. Limited site access meant cranes handled much of the installation, custom scaffolding was required to install 20-foot guardrails over open gorges, and every detail—from the custom guardrail netting to the perfectly aligned decking pattern—had to meet both structural demands and architectural vision.

The bridge is a testament to what's possible when craftsmanship, precision, and innovation come together. We're honored to have helped bring this extraordinary destination to life.

We're honored to see the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library () featured in our local news as it opens its doors this Fourth of July weekend.

For Modular Trail Structures, it was a privilege to help bring this one-of-a-kind project to life by constructing the library's signature boardwalk—a path designed to immerse visitors in the Badlands that shaped Theodore Roosevelt's conservation legacy.

As a small company, being trusted with one of the most complex boardwalk projects we've ever built is something we're incredibly proud of. Congratulations to everyone who made this historic project a reality.

Arlington company’s boardwalk featured at Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Modular Trail Structures, based in Arlington, designed and built a boardwalk that takes visitors through the Badlands and across the library’s property.

This Fourth of July, as the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library () celebrates its grand opening, we're honored to celebrate something else—our team's role in bringing this extraordinary vision to life.

Modular Trail Structures was proud to bring to life the library's signature boardwalk, creating the path that will connect visitors to the North Dakota Badlands that inspired Theodore Roosevelt's lifelong commitment to conservation.

This wasn't just another boardwalk. Every section was uniquely engineered, built to meet some of the world's highest sustainability standards, and crafted to complement one of America's most significant new cultural landmarks.

As a small company, being selected to help build a project of this magnitude is an honor we'll never forget. It's a testament to the skill, dedication, and craftsmanship of every member of our team.

As our nation begins celebrating America's 250th anniversary, we're incredibly proud to have contributed to a place that will inspire generations to come.

Happy Fourth of July, and congratulations to everyone who helped make the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library a reality.