Monarch Mountain
An independent, locally owned area on Monarch Pass with about 350 inches of snow a year and cat skiing.
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View More →Monarch Mountain is an independent, locally owned area on Monarch Pass, on the Continental Divide about 20 miles west of Salida, with a tagline of "Keeping It Real Since 1939." Its Hours & Stats page lists 1,146 total skiable acres, 80 trails, a base at 10,727 feet and a top at 11,952 feet for a 1,225-foot vertical. The average annual snowfall is 350 inches.
The terrain breaks down as 15% green, 34% blue, 35% black, 8% double black and 3% parks. Mirkwood Basin is 129 acres of unaltered double-black terrain reached by hiking about 15 minutes from the lifts, and Monarch adds 1,635 acres of guided snowcat skiing.
Monarch operates on a U.S. Forest Service special-use permit, and the season usually runs from late November to early April. It isn't on the Epic, Ikon or Mountain Collective passes and wasn't found on the Indy Pass list, but it has partner-resort free-day deals with several other Colorado areas. Check current Monarch ski conditions before you go.
Stats from Monarch Mountain (official site), as of Oct 2026. (source) Conditions and pass partners change by season — confirm with the area before you go.
Map of Monarch Mountain
- Easiest (green)
- Intermediate (blue)
- Advanced / expert (black)
- Extreme
- Lift
Showing 77 mapped runs and 9 lifts. Open the full Monarch Mountain trail map, with every run and lift listed → Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More ski areas to compare with Monarch Mountain
Also in Gunnison, Salida & Western Slope
Nearby ski areas
- Cranor Hill Ski Area · about 31 mi away (straight line)
- Crested Butte Mountain Resort · about 43 mi away (straight line)
- Aspen Mountain · about 53 mi away (straight line)
- Aspen Highlands · about 54 mi away (straight line)