Switchback Spring, June 16-18, 2026 in New Orleans, LA
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During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Matt Oesterle rented an RV, thinking it would be fun to take his family on a road trip and camp along the way. However, Oesterle found that his camping options were limited and not to his liking, as most sites were located directly off the highway and featured pavement rather than natural surroundings. Plus, many places were crowded, with campers packed in close together.
Oesterle realized there was a need for nature-focused, family-oriented campgrounds that bridged the gap between primitive campsites and the large parking-lot-style campgrounds found at a KOA or a busy state or national park.
In 2021, Oesterle launched Ramble. Based in Golden, CO, the company creates and operates low-density, remote campgrounds that offer privacy and natural surroundings, while still delivering amenities, such as bathrooms and showers. Ramble campsites accommodate tents, vans, trailers, and RVs, though its “dry” campsites have no water, sewer, or electrical hookups.
In 2023, Ramble debuted its first campground near Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. A year later, it opened its second campground outside of Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park. Both sites align with the company’s mission to establish campgrounds in popular and convenient locations.
“We’re setting these campground locations outside of major cities, national parks, anywhere that’s a sort of tourist destination, that’s easy to get to,” says Emma Sheade, chief of staff and VP of operations for Ramble. She says the company’s research reveals that most people are willing to travel approximately 200 miles beyond their home to camp. Therefore, the company aims to establish sites within this range of major population centers throughout the country. For example, in Texas, Ramble is investigating sites outside of Austin, Houston, and Dallas.
As Ramble identifies potential campground areas, it not only considers the distance people will travel but also several other factors, such as consumer demand. According to Sheade, the company developed a data algorithm to assess the availability of campgrounds in specific areas and the demand for sites in those locations.
Additionally, Ramble considers the local climate and environment. “We integrate with FEMA and weather services and look at a bunch of other factors to determine the best strategic spot to open up a campground,” says Sheade.
As Ramble constructs a campground, it also works with local public lands agencies and local authorities. “We’re working with fire mitigation, talking to the sheriff, talking to the county, because we want to actually be involved in the community,” says Sheade. When Ramble opened its campground near the Great Sand Dunes, the national park officials were pleased because they didn’t have enough campsites to meet demand and could direct people to Ramble for alternative options.
One of Ramble’s chief concerns is offering campers a high-quality experience. To prevent overcrowding, Ramble campgrounds feature only 25 to 75 campsites, depending on the property’s size. To ensure that campers enjoy privacy, there’s also ample space between campsites.
“We want to make sure that we’re sticking to what we’re selling, which is space and privacy,” says Sheade.
To further enhance the camping experience, Ramble campgrounds offer a range of amenities. At each property, campsites lie within a short walk of bathrooms and hot showers. Additionally, various types of sites are available for tent camping, vehicle camping, and group camping. At the Great Sand Dunes campground, a walk-in Adventure site for tent camping (approximately $66 per night, including taxes and fees) features a fire pit, gas grill, camp kitchen, picnic table, and stove. A Signature Plus site that accommodates a 40-foot RV (about $175 per night) includes those amenities, as well as three solar-powered tent pads, a cornhole game, and a hammock.
When people visit a Ramble campground, they enjoy not only privacy and well-appointed campsites but also a high level of customer service from on-site hosts. Each campsite includes a QR code that campers can scan to contact the host, whether they need firewood dropped off or want any other assistance.
“Originally, we were going to run campgrounds remotely, but we found that people really cared about having a camp post and that human touch,” says Sheade, adding that Ramble hosts attend customer-service training. “Our response time for getting back to guests is almost under 2 minutes, which is pretty incredible.”
While Ramble currently has just two campgrounds, it plans a broad expansion, banking on the idea that people throughout the country will appreciate a higher-quality outdoor experience.
“We hope to have Ramble campgrounds across the U.S., outside of major cities,” says Sheade. “For context, KOA has around 500. We hope to be somewhere in that ballpark or more.”
The venture capital group Next Ventures will fund Ramble’s growth. “When you choose venture capital, you’re choosing scale, you’re choosing to grow,” says Melanie Strong, a founding partner of Next Ventures. “If access to happiness is our objective as an industry, we need to grow faster; we need to make access more available to people in urban areas and beyond.”
Typically, Next Ventures invests in preventative healthcare companies, and Strong says Ramble fits that portfolio. “Access to the outdoors has such a positive impact on mental and physical health,” she says, adding that high-quality campgrounds will encourage and enable more people to enjoy nature. “Hopefully, we’ll create lifelong lovers of the outdoors through their first Ramble experience.”
