community in California
Honey bee forage in Bear Valley, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 35% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (90th percentile) and lowest in spring (28th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Bear Valley?
- First forage: Apr 16 (kinnikinnick, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (spring-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bear Valley, 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 Jun 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry, spring-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick, summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Bear Valley
Mostly: Mediterranean California Red Fir Forest; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral; Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
How Bear Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 24th | 27th | 64th | 48th |
| California | 35th | 28th | 90th | 83rd |
| Sierra Nevada | 36th | 34th | 77th | 83rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 90% 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 Bear Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kirkwood 15 mi · Dorrington 16 mi · Strawberry 19 mi · Markleeville 19 mi · Cold Springs 21 mi · Arnold 22 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 Bear Valley (38.4723, -120.0518); 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.