Scenic Tram – Monarch Crest, CO

This lift operates in summer only but can be seen from nearby Monarch Mountain ski area, which used to operate it.
Both stations are inside buildings that get locked up for the winter.
There are six cabins on the lift that hold four passengers each.
Upgraded controls at the ticket booth.
Drive bullwheel.
The entire line stops whenever passengers load and unload.
The line reaches a maximum speed of 400 feet a minutes.
Cabin manufactured by Atlas Engineering in Salt Lake City.
View down the lift line.
Tower 4.
A green cabin up top.
The tension carriage.
Breakover seen from the top observation deck at over 12,000 feet.
Counterweight behind the return terminal building.
Passengers go around the bullwheel before unloading at each station.
Upper terminal overview.
The breakover with Monarch Mountain in the background.
Another look at towers 5-7.
Tower 2.
There are two each of green, yellow and red cabins.
Lift overview.
All the towers except the first one.

12 thoughts on “Scenic Tram – Monarch Crest, CO

  1. Duncan's avatar Duncan October 25, 2018 / 3:06 pm

    I’ve been looking for pictures of this for ages, ever since I saw this lift on the way to telluride! When did you upload this? I completely missed it.

    Like

    • Peter Landsman's avatar Peter Landsman October 25, 2018 / 6:49 pm

      I finally made it on this lift in August. Just down to Silverton, Cranor Hill and Lake City Ski Hill I need to get to in Colorado.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. milanyvr's avatar milanyvr November 14, 2019 / 9:45 pm

    This attraction looks a bit dodgy. Im a fan of old ski lifts however it looks pretty poorly maintained. The sign on the terminal adds my point, lol.

    Like

    • Dave Yost's avatar Dave Yost November 4, 2022 / 5:12 pm

      Not clear how the sign on a terminal indicates poor maintenance. LOL.

      Like

    • Coloradoskilifts's avatar Coloradoskilifts July 20, 2025 / 5:14 pm

      It actually runs pretty well. I rode this puppy a couple of days ago, and I was amazed on how smooth it was. Monarch did a great job maintaining this lift.

      Like

  3. Somebodyelse's avatar Somebodyelse June 27, 2022 / 12:43 pm

    Wow, I haven’t see the old Heron grip in use since the Thunderbird double chair at Snoqualmie Summit, which used a single grip version.

    Like

  4. Skier's avatar Skier June 27, 2022 / 10:40 pm

    Can anybody explain how the clamping force on this grip works? I’ve only ever seen blurry old black and white photos of it. It’s cool that there’s still one out there. I’m guessing this is the only lift left with a grip like this, or are there others?

    Like

    • liftnerd's avatar liftnerd July 6, 2024 / 6:53 pm

      A rubber sleeve was slipped over the haul rope and secured in place. Then the grip, essentially at tube split down the middle, with the chair’s journal surface attached to one half. They were bolted together with six bolts. I know where one is, I’ll take a picture of it when I get a chance and send it in. In the meantime, I have attached a photograph from the Chairlift Preservation Society that shows one in service years ago.

      http://www.chairlift.org/boyne.html

      Like

  5. liftnerd's avatar liftnerd April 13, 2023 / 7:16 pm

    Did Atlas Engineering build cabins for any other lifts?

    Like

  6. Coloradoskilifts's avatar Coloradoskilifts July 20, 2025 / 5:15 pm

    The cabins on this lift are pretty claustrophobic. Triggers your anxiety on the ride up!

    Like

  7. Coloradoskilifts's avatar Coloradoskilifts July 21, 2025 / 8:51 am

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe this is the only gondola in the U.S that goes above treeline.

    Like

    • Tucker's avatar Tucker July 21, 2025 / 12:28 pm

      Mammoth Mountain’s Panorama Gondola Stage 2 breaks treeline for almost the entire upper half, and so does the Strawberry Express at Snowbasin UT.

      There are plenty of trams that break treeline in the U.S as well. Monarch Crest isn’t classified as a gondola though, and is classified as a tram.

      Like

Leave a reply to Peter Landsman Cancel reply