The Monarch Mountain Lodge is located three miles (5 km) east of the ski area in the town of Garfield, Colorado.

With this machinery, James Kane along with the Salida Winter Sports Club powered a 500 foot rope-tow up what is now the Gunbarrel ski trail at Monarch Mountain.

The cabin that first housed the lift machinery still stands at the base of the run today and the original pulley which the rope ran through still marks the top of the tow.

The town of Salida officially owned Monarch during the early days, and it was leased to the SWSC for a 10% cut of the profits.

[citation needed] As of July 8, 2024 Monarch Mountain has received approval by the US Forest Service to expand into No Name Basin.

[1] Previously accessed by Monarch’s cat-skiing operation, it will feature 10 cut trails and an additional 75 acres of gladed terrain for skiers and snowboarders to explore.