Monarch Ski an Snowboard Area is located on U.S. Highway 50. It is twenty miles west of Salida, Colorado, on Monarch Pass and has 54 trails, two terrain parks, and a newly-opened Extreme-Terrain area called Mirkwood. The Monarch Mountain Lodge is located three miles east of the ski area in the picturesque town of Garfield, Colorado. Many people call this ski area "Colorado's Best-Kept Secret", due to its great terrain and the fact that it is not popularly known about that makes for short lift lines and less crowds. Monarch is open daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM from mid-November to early April. Monarch ski area is named after a male elk that has 7 points on its rack. Right after the area closes, there is a large elk migration through the ski area.