community in California
Honey bee forage in Gold Mountain, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (94th percentile) and lowest in spring (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.4 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gold Mountain?
- First forage: Apr 1 (kinnikinnick, dandelion, maples)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (kinnikinnick, snowberry, ceanothus: redstem)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gold Mountain, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): kinnikinnick, ceanothus: redstem, dandelion, maples; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, ceanothus: redstem, kinnikinnick; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, kinnikinnick, ceanothus: redstem, dandelion; 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Gold Mountain
Mostly: Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi S.
How Gold Mountain ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 46th | 51st | 68th | 44th |
| California | 46th | 38th | 94th | 79th |
| Sierra Nevada | 64th | 50th | 85th | 77th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 88% 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 Gold Mountain: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mabie 2 mi · Iron Horse 2 mi · Clio 3 mi · Valley Ranch 3 mi · C-Road 3 mi · Whitehawk 3 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 Gold Mountain (39.7613, -120.5191); 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.