community in California
Honey bee forage in Big Creek, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.18 mi W.
When is the honey flow in Big Creek?
- First forage: Apr 1 (spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jun 30, peaking late May (spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Creek, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 Big Creek
Mostly: California Montane Woodland and Chaparral; Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi SE.
How Big Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 68th | 67th | 22nd |
| California | 56th | 46th | 93rd | 45th |
| Sierra Nevada | 79th | 62nd | 84th | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 91% 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 Big Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Shaver Lake 8 mi · Auberry 14 mi · North Fork 15 mi · Bass Lake 19 mi · Oakhurst 23 mi · Coarsegold 25 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 Big Creek (37.2036, -119.2485); 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.