Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Monarch Mountain that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Monarch Mountain stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Monarch Mountain review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Monarch Mountain
Total (3.6)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
Great all mountain family friendly resort with reasonable pricing!
John Winchell
1st time skiing mountain didn’t know what to expect but very friendly staff helpful mountain was well taken care of nice place to take a break and eat lunch will most definitely be back
Jennifer Kammerer
Love this local resort and all the “extras” they offer over the big ones… affordable, great tree skiiing where I have always had the best luck with superb powder, I’ve often skied right onto the lift without waiting, and a fabulous uphill access program. They used to also (and maybe do again?) allow overnight van camping in the lot. All in all, a fav. They seem to often get reliable snow coverage throughout the season.
Tamra Kaufman
DO NOT BUY LIFT TICKETS AT THE WINDOW! Online a teen one day lift ticket for the particular day we went was $99 online but $140 at the window! I can understand maybe $15 more but $40 is price gouging!
David Milford
I agree with many of the other reviews that Monarch is a great mountain with some of the best tree powder skiing around. However, the lifts are old and slow and should be upgraded. My compromise to upgrade them without incurring too much cost, or attracting too many new people to make it crowded, is to only replace 3 lifts. Tumbelina and Pioneer should both be replaced with fixed triples, since they are short, and that would require the removal of fewer trees than quads would. Breezeway should be replaced with a high-speed gondola, since it is long, the weather can be bad, and it serves runs, terrain park, and Mirkwood. A bonus would be building a new food lodge with huge windows at the top of breezeway, similar to Ravens Roost at Wolf Creek.
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?
Dan hall
Short lift lines, friendly staff, great choices in places to eat, excellent snow reports, trail maps available, parking was great, lots of different terrain, overall great place to ski.
Dan hall
Short lift lines, friendly staff, great choices in places to eat, excellent snow reports, trail maps available, parking was great, lots of different terrain, overall great place to ski.
Alison Watts
Short lift lines even during holiday peak. Friendly staff. Lots of different terrain. Overall very fun place to ski! The parking is lacking. There is overflow in a top lot and at the top of the pass a couple of miles away and they do provide a good shuttle service to the mountain from both. Highly recommend Monarch Mountain! It won’t disappoint.
Bill C
We've not only skied and boarded all over Colorado (and most of the West plus Switzerland), but our kids have worked in the ski/board business in Colorado and Oregon. We've all tired of the big "industrial" resorts (Vail, Keystone, Breck, Copper, Beaver Creek, Big Sky) and their crowds, high prices, long lift lines and high percentages of spoiled rich tourists. We tried Monarch last year, and it was a huge relief. Friendly and attentive lifties, minimal lift lines, no confrontations with aggressive skiers or riders, and much lower ticket costs. Overall, a much more low key vibe. And that was during Christmas peak. We liked the runs, too. And frankly, given climate change, we are glad to patronize a resort that doesn't waste power on snowmaking.
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