Booking.com Celebrates Sustainable Travel With New Smokey Bear-Themed Vacation Home

There’s a new vacation home just outside of Lincoln National Forest—and it’s Smokey Bear-approved from floor to ceiling. If you want the chance to be the lucky guest who stays in it, mark your calendar for tomorrow (Nov. 2) at noon ET, when reservations open for a one-of-a-kind sustainable getaway.

Created by Booking.com, the 660-square-foot, one-bedroom home features a custom-designed interior with Smokey Bear-themed wallpaper, artwork, and furniture. It comes with a fully equipped kitchen, a cozy living room with a wood-burning stove, and a large deck with beautiful views of the trees. Its location, just minutes from the entrance to Lincoln National Forest, gives guests easy access to hiking trails.

The vacation rental has more than just Smokey Bear aesthetics, though. It also honors the lovable mammal’s spirit, as well. The company is donating the home to the Smokey Bear Ranger District in Lincoln National Forest, where it will be used to give park rangers and firefighters a place of respite.

But first, a nature-loving traveler will have the opportunity to experience a two-night stay at the Smokey Bear Ranger District House from Nov. 5 to Nov. 7 for just $19.50 (a nod to 1950, the year the real Smokey Bear was rescued from a forest fire). The getaway will include a weekend full of unique things to do, including a guided bike tour through Lincoln National Forest, private cooking lessons using locally sourced ingredients, a workshop with a local artisan woodworker, and a meet-and-greet with Smokey Bear himself, among other fun activities. Plus, you’ll get to hibernate in the cozy vacation home.

Check out the Smokey Bear Ranger District House listing on Booking.com on Nov. 2 at noon ET (sharp!) to try your luck at scoring a reservation for the one-of-kind travel experience.

The debut of the special home comes at an important milestone for Booking.com: the one-year anniversary of its Travel Sustainable badge, which is awarded to hotels and properties that have implemented significant sustainability measures.

“Booking.com’s mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, which includes helping travelers make more mindful and conscious choices,” said Arjan Dijk, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Booking.com, in a press release.

The Smokey Bear was designed with practices to earn it the Travel Sustainable badge. It was built with recycled, sustainable materials using resource-efficient construction methods. It’s powered by 100% renewable energy and has water- and electricity-saving appliances. And you won’t find single-use plastic anywhere on site.

More than 150,000 properties worldwide have already earned the Travel Sustainable distinction on Booking.com. So if you don’t get to stay at the Smokey Bear home this weekend, you can still find plenty of other eco-friendly places to enjoy a fall getaway.

“We aim to reinforce that sustainable travel is easily actionable and that there are sustainable accommodations widely available for consumers to enjoy,” Dijk added. “Whether a sleek city hotel, a family-friendly beach house, or even a Smokey Bear Ranger District House in a national forest, Booking.com offers thousands of Travel Sustainable certified properties making it easy to find and book sustainable stays.”