You thought ski season was over? Not so fast. The snow gods have delivered in a big way. After receiving nearly 6 feet of snow in the last month, Monarch Mountain has decided to extend their season. Closing day has been pushed back to April 21, 2024.
“Mother Nature continues to deliver up here and we want to keep the chairs turning, so don’t put your skis away yet,” said Monarch Marketing Manager Allie Stevens.
Monarch relies totally on natural snowfall. No, they don’t make any. It’s all the real deal. Good thing the independent ski area tops out at 11,952 feet.
“We’re excited to be able to offer another extra week for our passholders,”Stevens says. “Plus, if your local mountain is closed, you can come see what skiing on the Continental Divide is all about!”
For the last week of the season, April 15-21, Monarch will offer discounted full and half-day lift tickets. Full day lift tickets will be: $64 for adults, $54 for teens, $44 for kids, and $54 for seniors.
Half Day tickets are available starting at 12:30 p.m. Prices are $39 for adults, $29 for teens, $19 for kids, and $29 for seniors.
You can also still get a Monarch Wings Pass that allows new pass holders to ski the rest of the 2023-24 season and all of the 2024-25 ski season.
Monarch has hopeful plans to add 377 new acres for lift-served skiing and snowboarding next year. The expansion would add a new chairlift to No Name Basin on the west side of the Continental Divide — in other words, over the Continental Divide from current Monarch. The resort does use the area for some of its cat skiing operations, so you could still possibly get a preview this spring. The Environmental Assessment and Draft Decision Notice has been made available by the U.S. Forest Service. That milestone puts Monarch one step closer toward the expansion. Scott Pressly, vice president of mountain operations, wrote is a recent blog that once a final decision is reached by the USFS, Monarch plans on a two summer construction. That puts the 2025-26 season as the earliest for opening the No Name Basin expansion.
In the meantime, Monarch will close out this season with a bang. Its annual Gunbarrel Challenge will happen Sunday, April 21. The event lets participants put their skills to the test by boot packing up the steep Gunbarrel Run and skiing down in a race to the finish line. The winner gets the ultimate bragging rights and the Golden Boot award.
For more information, visit skimonarch.com.
Looking for some good food and drinks on the way to or from Monarch? Find some of our favorites in Best Stops on the Road to Monarch.
