Welcome to Friends of BERT

Friends of BERT is an advocacy group for the Bonita Estero Rail Trail and the greater Florida Gulf Coast Trail

Become a BERT Trailblazer and Help Accelerate the Delivery of the Trail!

You can help speed up the delivery of the trail by making a donation or pledge to the BERT Capital Fund. Become a ‘BERT Trailblazer’ and help fund the project development, environmental, design and construction phases of the project. Click here to access the donation / pledge page and learn more.

NEW! Interactive Map

Click Here to view our new interactive map of the future BERT trail!

Bonita Estero Rail Trail – Transformation of a Region

Recently Friends of BERT completed a project with help of consultants from Kimley-Horn on a new booklet. The booklet will be used to help educate key decision makers on the benefits of the trail and the positive transformation of the region that the trail will bring. Read all about it by clicking on, ‘The Bonita Estero Rail Trail – Transformation of a Region.

Who We Are

We are an all-volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) citizen group dedicated to bringing the Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT) and Florida Gulf Coast Trail (FGCT) to Lee County and Collier County communities. Our mission is to generate public support for BERT and all sections of the FGCT trail network. Our advocacy group started in late September of 2022 and currently we have over 3600 members. Learn More

About the Trail

Rail crossing at Estero River

The proposed Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT) will run from just south of the Lee / Collier County border to Alico Road along the 15 mile unused rail corridor through downtown Bonita Springs and Estero ending just north of San Carlos Park at Alico Road. BERT will connect to the John Yarborough Trail to the north and the Paradise Coast Trail to the south.  Once complete, BERT will become part of the Florida Gulf Coast Trail 400+ mile network stretching from Collier County to Tampa. See Trail Maps

Help Our Cause

By supporting the Friends of BERT, area residents have a chance to make their voices heard and gain a safe place to walk/run/bike. Click to Join Now and receive our Friends of BERT Newsletter. You can also help by contributing your time, making a donation, or simply purchasing BERT Gear to help Friends of BERT make the Trail a reality.

Join Friends of BERT

Keep up-to-date with the progress of the trail and the activities of Friends of BERT. Click JOIN to become a Friend of BERT!
Friends of BERT 2022 Member Meeting

Volunteer

Want to get directly involved with helping Friends of BERT advocate for the trail? Click VOLUNTEER above and learn more.
Friends of BERT Volunteer Training Session

Donate

You can also help the Friends of BERT by making a donation or pledging to the capital fund to help accelerate the completion of the trail. Click DONATE/PLEDGE above and learn the multiple ways you can donate or make a pledge.
Friends of BERT booth at The Promenade At Bonita Bay

Sponsor

Your organization can help support Friends of BERT by becoming a sponsor. Click SPONSOR above to find out more.

Purchase BERT Gear

You can also help Friends of BERT by purchasing BERT merchandise. Click the SUPPORT button above to go to our SweatVac partner’s site.

Why Is BERT Important?

Improve Quality of Life: Bonita Springs and Estero need open space for families to enjoy our beautiful area. We need safe trails that connect to our towns and businesses, as well as connections to trails to the north and south of us. Click to learn about a great example of these improvement from the town of Dunedin.

Boost Local Economy: Trails bring new business and visitors to our area. Home values near a Trail are significantly higher and businesses along the trail receive a significant economic boost. Read more about the economic benefits that the trail will bring here.

Lee County is one of the worst counties in the US for pedestrian and bicycle safety. This trail, and its connectors, will give pedestrians and cyclists an alternative to the busy roads. Click to read a News-Press article regarding Pedestrian Safety.

2021/2022 Lee County Bicycle and Pedestrian deaths: over 1200 crashes resulting in 71 fatalities and 100s of permanent injuries. We have a chance to lower these statistics by building the Bonita Estero Rail Trail!

Community Endorsements

To date, 31 communities have offered official HOA board endorsements supporting this multi-use trail. This list includes: Pelican Landing, Pelican Sound, Bonita Isles, Hacienda Village, Bonita Fairways, Riverwood Plantation, Fountain Lakes, Forest Creek Villas, West Bay Club, Bonita Bay, The Club at Rapallo, Bella Terra, Copperleaf, Light House Bay, Estero Bay Village Residents Club, Toscana at Vasari, Bermuda Park Condominium Association, Meadowbrook, Spring Run, Bonita National, Tidewater, Wildcat Run, Villages of Country Creek, Spanish Wells, VillageWalk, Hunters Ridge Golf & Country Club, Cedar Creek, Valencia Bonita, The Harborage, Belle Lago and The Preserve at Corkscrew with many more in the works. Combined, that represents over 25,500 homes in Lee County!

Thank you to all of our generous sponsors who support our mission to help make BERT a reality! Please let them know how much you appreciate their support too.

Learn More About Business Sponsors Here

Diamond

Platinum

Gold

JETSET Pilates Logo

Silver

Corporate Endorsements

The Arts Bonita, Blue Zone Project, Lee Health, and Bonita Springs-Estero Realtors have also offered endorsements. We appreciate everyone’s support!