SALIDA, CO — One Southern Colorado ski resort is getting a little larger next year.
On Monday, October 31st Monarch Mountain Ski Resort finalized the purchase of the Monarch Crest and Scenic Tramway at the top of Monarch Pass.
The Monarch Crest Scenic Tramway and Gift Shop first opened as a small local family-run tourist attraction in 1954. It was not until June 1st, 1966 that the tramway opened for operations for the first time.
The tramway is the oldest working tramway in the State of Colorado due to the consistent maintenance and upgrading to keep the tram up to modern tramway standards.
Centered on the Continental Divide the tramway ascends to over 12,000 feet in elevation and offers wonderful panoramic views on a clear day.
Monarch Mountain has plans to renew and upgrade the old mountain tramway as it announced future plans to remodel the space to include a welcome center, retail store, and food venue.
The new addition also is going to add additional parking for people to enjoy expanded outdoor activities. This also opens up the ability for year-long positions for Monarch Mountain staff already with the resort.
Finally, Monarch plans on expanding its outdoor recreation retail options at this location to include hiking, mountain biking, and hunting accessories.
“We are thrilled to add this to our portfolio as it is a natural extension of what we already do. We look forward to reimaging the space and serving the needs of all those who recreate on the divide,” said GM and COO of Monarch Mountain, Randy Stroud.
At this time Monarch Mountain told us that even though this does significantly increase the resort size it is not considering opening more ski routes at this time.
The Tramway will be closed for the 22/23 winter season with plans to open in the spring of 2023.
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