Monarch Mountain Ski Area
Monarch Mountain
Trail Map (full)
Monarch Mountain
Monarch Mountain
Trail Map (Mirkwood)
Monarch Mountain Weather
Monarch Mountain
Web Cams (not live)
About Monarch Mountain
General:
Monarch Mountain is one of the oldest ski resorts in the state of Colorado. The Continental Divide runs through Monarch Mountain and continues past Loveland Ski Area to the north. It is a convenient mountain to get to from Colorado Springs (one of the shortest drives at about 2 hours). From Denver it is almost an hour more than than the Summit County resorts.
Terrain:
Monarch Mountain is considered a family mountain. It's affordable and has plenty of beginner/intermediate terrain. However, if you happen to be at Monarch on a powder day, you can hike up to the Mirkwood Bowl (about 20 minutes) to get fresh lines and a good challenge. Also be sure to duck into the trees, as they are fairly good and usually ignored at Monarch.
For experts skiers and riders, with a little extra money to spend, (between $200-$300), you can go on the Monarch Mountain Snowcat Tours. Some consider them the best Snowcat tours in the state. There is a map on th left hand side that covers the Snowcat Tours terrain.
Village:
There is a large central lodge at the base of Monarch Mountain. It has a bar with restaurant, a separate food court, gift shop, plenty of seating, and everything else you'd expect to find in a ski lodge. That is about it for ammenities at Monarch as there is no town of Monarch or on-mountain dining. Most people stay in nearby Salida, which is a cool, electic art town along the Arkansas River. It's about 20 minutes away.
Reasons to Go:
Affordable lift tickets; Closer resort to Colorado Springs, CO.
MTgnar Rating: 3.5 out of 5Monarch Mountain Info
Base Elevation: 10790 feet / 3289 m
Summit Elevation: 11952 feet / 3643 m
Vertical Drop 1162 feet / 354 meters
Annual Snowfall: 350 inches / 889 cm
Area: 800 acres / 3237485 m2
Hours of Operation: 9am-4pm
Season: mid November - mid April
Address:
1 Powder Place
23715 Hwy 50
Monarch, CO 81227
Main Phone Number: (888) 996-7669
Monarch Ski Area Location
View from parking lot at Monarch Mountain.
Monarch Mountain
Trail Map (Snowcat Tours)
View from Mirkwood Bowl at Monarch - You must hike about 20 minutes to access the Mirkwood Terrain.
Big Air off natural log at Monarch Ski Area.
View of main chairlift from base at Monarch Mountain. (courtesy of Blueron48 on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blueron48/)
Panoramic shot of Monarch Mountain in Colorado.
Colorado's best recreation guide
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