community in California
Honey bee forage in Lee Vining, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 29% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (96th 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 Lee Vining?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lee Vining, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, weedy mustards; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush; 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 Lee Vining
Mostly: Open water; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi E.
How Lee Vining ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 16th | 28th | 39th | 71st |
| California | 29th | 28th | 66th | 96th |
| Central Basin and Range | 70th | 80th | 69th | 44th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 44% 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 Lee Vining: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mono City 6 mi · Virginia Lakes 10 mi · June Lake 13 mi · Twin Lakes 19 mi · Bridgeport 21 mi · Mammoth Lakes 24 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 Lee Vining (37.9549, -119.122); 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.