Eco-friendly, going green—call it what you will—take one glimpse at the natural beauty of the Tennessee Smokies and this act of caring for and maintaining the awe-inspiring mountain environment is nothing more than mere common sense.

While there’s nothing better on vacation than ditching all means of technology and style strains to immerse oneself in nature, the Smokies does have to make sure it’s right on trend with the latest craze—going green. Of course, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been doing its part to conserve the area and its wildlife since its founding in the mid-1920s, but each city throughout the Smokies has pitched in as well, organizing programs, events and getting the entire community involved in the preservation of their breathtakingly beautiful home.

In fact, the entire state of Tennessee is affiliated with the Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) program, the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization that focuses on encouraging individuals to improve their community’s environment. Since the beginning of Keep Tennessee Beautiful (KTnB), the state affiliate of KAB, originally founded as Clean Tennessee Program in 1983, they have participated in various statewide and nationwide programs working towards recycling, waste management and litter prevention, among many others.

In response to these actions, Tennessee affiliates of Keep America Beautiful quickly sprouted up throughout the state, and the Smokies saw the establishment of Keep Sevier Beautiful, serving Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Pittman Center and Sevier County, as well as Keep Knoxville Beautiful and Keep Blount Beautiful. Through the organization of cleanup programs, hazardous waste collection events, recycling programs and even special Earth Day celebrations, the go green theme has held up strong, and the beauty of the Smokies has persevered.

Gatlinburg in particular has taken a special interest in promoting the area’s green-minded businesses and the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce created a Gatlinburg Goes Green website, which lists the area’s past, present and future green efforts. They also offer up travel tips for visitors, with suggestions like renting a hybrid car if you cannot rely on public transportation, reusing bath towels instead of requesting a new one after one use, and learning about your hotel’s recycling program. The Gatlinburg Goes Green initiative has encouraged the majority of the local businesses to become a member and strive towards creating an earth-friendly environment both individually and collectively. Those members who are at the top of their eco-friendly game are recognized on the website as gold, silver or bronze members. Visit the website at www.gatlinburggoesgreen.com for a complete list of all members.

Want to go the extra green mile while on vacation? The Hilton Garden Inn at Gatlinburg, which opened May 2009, is well on its way to LEED Silver Certification, having been built with an eco-savvy purpose in mind. A few of the green amenities include 90 percent LED or fluorescent lighting, dual-flush toilets to save 30 percent more water, and carpet and wallpaper that includes recycled content.