Ramble on
Well-equipped car camping comes to Phil's World (finally)

If, like many locals, you’ve been wondering over the years why the heck no one has opened a campground near the mountain biking mini mecca of Phil’s World, you can stop.

Ramble Campgrounds, the Golden-based company, has officially set down roots in the M.C. Located on CR M, the 25-site campground is located just a short roll from Phil’s Northern Trailhead. Known as Ramble at Mesa Verde for its proximity and views of Mesa Verde National Park (oh yeah, that), the campground is opening for the season May 9, just in time for the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde Race on May 10.

“We’re in a really unique location right next to Phil’s World, so we’re hoping to target a lot of those mountain biking enthusiasts,” Ramble’s Chief of Staff and VP of Operations Emma Sheade said recently from Golden. 

Although the campground had a “soft” opening last year, this is the first season it is officially rolling out the dirtbag welcome mat. Er, excuse me, “mountain bike enthusiast” welcome mat.

Ramble was founded by Colorado resident Matt Oesterle, who, upon taking a pandemic family RV roadtrip from California to Ohio, was nonplussed by the accommodations along the route.

“They camped along the way and realized a lot of these American campsites are almost like these parking lot-style experiences where there’s a ton of campsites piled on top of each other, with no space, no privacy, and you’re right off the highway,” said Sheade.

Oesterle set out to change all that with Ramble. The campgrounds offer spacious sites, where neighbors may be seen but not heard, with views and a sense of privacy. They also come with amenities like grills, camp chairs, outdoor kitchens, shade structures, picnic tables, lights, smokeless Solo firepits, and yes, some sites even have corn hole and solar-powered outlets to charge your phone (or Garmin or fancy new bluetooth bike shifters.)

In other words, glorified car camping with a lot less schlepping. 

Sheade said the philosophy behind Ramble is to find a happy medium between the all-out free-for-all of BLM camping and the oft-reviled modern invention known as glamping. Ramble seeks to offer a more “authentic” experience versus the latter, where your head never touches the dirt (or your puffy crammed under your head on a sleeping pad on a tent floor on the dirt.)

“We don’t define ourselves as a glamping campground, but we’re not bare bones either,” said Sheade. “We still set you up with the right kind of amenities but at the end of the day, you are bringing your tent, you are pitching it and you are sleeping outside under the stars,” she said.

Note: You don’t necessarily have to sleep in a tent. If you prefer al fresco, you can take a Paco Pad  dirt nap among the piñon and juniper or crash in one of the comfy Adirondacks, although we don’t recommend this for people with back issues. And if you prefer your truck camper or #vanlife, those are allowed, too.

In addition, campers have access to shared bathrooms with hot showers, running water and most importantly for the vault-toilet averse, flushing toilets. And yes, there is wi-fi, so you can unplug if you want but still check Strava after a day in the saddle.

Nightly rates vary based on the time of the year and demand, but typically range from $75/night for the most basic “Adventure” site to $500 for the decked-out group site that accommodates you and 19 of your closest friends. Of course, it wouldn’t be camping without dogs, so furry four-leggeds are allowed, too – there is even a dog park on site.

Ramble at Mesa Verde is the second campground for the fairly young company. The first one, near Great Sand Dunes National Park, opened in 2023. About 30 minutes from the park, it features its own 2.5-mile trail and a disc golf course.

Sheade said the goal is to try to open more campgrounds near other national parks and landmarks. Other Colorado locations being considered include Salida/Buena Vista, Pine (east of Bailey) and Montrose.

But the company has plans to uh, ramble beyond rural Colorado, to more urban areas in Texas, such as Dallas, Houston and Austin, as well as Denver.

“The plan is to still have key locations outside national parks, but our focus will be more on ‘weekend adventure’ within an hour of major metro cities,” said Sheade. “What we found is a lot of people want to go camping, but they don’t really feel like driving five hours to some spot.”

Oesterle’s vision is to standardize Ramble campgrounds and their amenities so travelers know what to expect every time they go, no matter which location they visit. In addition, providing the basics like chairs, cooking equipment and fire pits makes camping accessible and easy for a wider range of campers, from the newbie camping curious to the lackadaisical veteran (who among us hasn’t forgotten their camp chair, firewood or lighter?)

Because if there’s one thing this world needs right about now, it’s more happy campers, not fewer.

“People love Ramble,” said Sheade, adding that the Sand Dunes site has earned rave reviews. “Our goal is to keep rolling out more across the state and the U.S.”