community in California
Honey bee forage in Alpine Village, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alpine Village?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alpine Village, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, ceanothus: redstem; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, spring-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Alpine Village
Mostly: California Montane Woodland and Chaparral; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi N.
How Alpine Village ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 61st | 62nd | 65th |
| California | 51st | 42nd | 88th | 95th |
| Central Basin and Range | 93rd | 98th | 90th | 36th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Alpine Village: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mesa Vista 2 mi · Markleeville 7 mi · Meyers 12 mi · South Lake Tahoe 14 mi · Kirkwood 15 mi · Topaz 19 mi
All towns in California · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Alpine Village (38.7793, -119.8078); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.