Monarch Crest

The Monarch Crest Scenic Tramway and Gift Shop are on the top of Monarch Pass at 11,312 feet (3.45 km). Monarch Pass is located on the Continental Divide at the southern end of the Sawatch Mountain Range. The Monarch Crest is along the border between Gunnison and Chaffee counties, approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of the town of Salida.  The Monarch Crest Gift Shop is a family ran business. The business opened in 1954 as a Greyhound bus stop and now it is a tourist attraction that attracts people from all around the world. The original building burnt down in 1988, and was rebuilt in 1989. The new building was built with a unique concrete structure that has 12 domes that total 10,800 square feet. The gift shop is open from early spring to late fall. With an excess of 350 inches of snowfall per year, Mother Nature dictates opening and closing dates.