community in California
Honey bee forage in Chilcoot-Vinton, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 54% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chilcoot-Vinton?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (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 Chilcoot-Vinton, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, snowberry; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; 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
- Alfalfa: about 193 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 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 Chilcoot-Vinton
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi E.
How Chilcoot-Vinton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 48th | 71st | 84th |
| California | 54th | 37th | 96th | 99th |
| Central Basin and Range | 94th | 95th | 94th | 79th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Chilcoot-Vinton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Loyalton 11 mi · Sierra Brooks 12 mi · Beckwourth 15 mi · Doyle 15 mi · Lake Davis 17 mi · Portola 18 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 Chilcoot-Vinton (39.8067, -120.1389); 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.