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Monarch Mountain Ski Resort

COLORADO / MONARCH MOUNTAIN

Related:

ColoradoSouthwest Colorado

Nearby:

Crested ButteCooper
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Elevation
10,790'
Base
11,952'
Summit
1,162'
Vertical Drop
Trails
67
800 Acres
Lifts
7
3 Types
Snowfall
231"
Annual Snowfall
17"
Nov
52"
Dec
54"
Jan
53"
Feb
44"
Mar
16"
Apr

Best known for

Monarch Mountain

Where to Stay

Plan Your Trip

Transportation

Important Dates

Projected opening date

Nov 21, 2025

Projected closing date

Apr 12, 2026

Projected Days Open

136

Days Open Last Year

136

Years Open

86

Average Snowfall

231"

Terrain

Beginners Runs
23%
Intermediate Runs
27%
Advanced Runs
38%
Expert Runs
13%
Runs in Total
67
Longest Run
1 mi
Skiable Terrain
800 ac

Lifts

7

Quad Chairs
1
Double Chairs
4
Surface Lifts
2

Inside Scoop

Reviews

Tyler Bevington

I've been skiing Monarch for about 25+ years, since I was about 10. For that reason, it holds a special place in my heart. Not much has changed, with is both a positive and an annoying reality of the ski resort. Garfield is one of the most important lifts on the mountain, as it provides access to the majority of intermediate and advanced terrain on the front side of the mountain. Garfield is still the incredibly slow, ancient two-chair it was when I started skiing at Monarch. Pioneer, the quad right next to it, would appear to be a viable alternative but takes skiers to mostly beginner terrain adjacent to the terrain accessed off Garfield and thus is more suited for families. Every year I hope to see that Monarch has started replacing their highly inadequate lifts, much like Loveland does every year, but they seem to be focused on adding gift shops, parking lots, and now a gondola strictly for sightseeing(?!). Bottom line, Monarch seems to want more visitors and has done a lot to improve their base of mountain experience, but has actually done very little to improve the skier experience, which is what matters most if you're a true skier. I'm not asking for anything crazy like a high speed 6-chair, but how about some nice detachable quads to disperse those crowds quicker on holiday weekends?

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