GATLINBURG, TN HOTELS - MOTELS - GREEN GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE LODGING

The city of Gatlinburg is on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Gatlinburg is considered to be a popular vacation resort. The city is nestled in the mountains and is surrounded by natural beauty. There is something for everyone in Gatlinburg. According to the 2000 census, the estimated population is of 3,828.

Gatlinburg weather can change rapidly due to the city’s high elevation. Usually the conditions are moderate and fall in-between the extremes. The Great Smoky Mountains produce a climate that is normally cooler and wetter than the surrounding areas. During the summer, rarely reach 90 degrees and days usually reach a high of 80 degrees. During the winter, the days can be sunny and in the 70’s or they may be snowy with highs in the 20s.

One of the special trademarks of Gatlinburg is its proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The national park is the most visited park in the United States. The park encompasses 814 square miles. The national park is one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States. There are over 100 different species of trees that grow in the park and there is an estimated 10,000 species of plants and animals known to live in the park. Other attractions to the park include breathtaking natural scenic views, fishing, and more than 850 miles of trails and unpaved roads for hiking.

Another main attraction in Gatlinburg is the Ripley’s Aquarium. Although the aquarium is thousands of miles from the ocean is still offers an authentic ocean experience. The aquarium has over 10,000 exotic sea creatures. Ripley’s Aquarium offers several different exhibits such as the tropical rainforest, the ocean realm, the coral reef, shark lagoon, a discovery center, stingray bay, an art gallery, and much more.

Gatlinburg has 53 hotels listed in the iStayGreen directory of which 2 are listed as environmentally friendly lodging. Currently 2 hotels have completed the online Environmental Audit and earned the Green Eco-Leaf Rating.

In Gatlinburg there are 51 properties where the environmentally friendliness is unknown and they have not yet verified their sustainability efforts with iStayGreen.org. In the state of Tennessee there is a total of 1019 lodging properties listed in the iStayGreen.org directory of which 7 are represented as eco-friendly. Currently there are 7 lodging properties that have earned the Green Eco-Leaf Rating. Included in the properties working toward a more sustainable travel future are Gatlinburg hotels, Gatlinburg resorts, Gatlinburg bed & breakfasts, and Gatlinburg extended stay accommodations.

When planning your Gatlinburg vacation, or travel to Gatlinburg we encourage you, before you book, to check rates and availability of "Green" rated hotels and lodging. In most cases we have found eco-friendly Gatlinburg TN accommodations to be price competitive with the unrated Gatlinburg hotel room rates.You may even save money and at the same time be doing something good for our environment!

Click here to view all environmentally friendly lodging in Gatlinburg