city in California
Honey bee forage in Loyalton, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Loyalton?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Loyalton, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, maples; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 778 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 4 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 Loyalton
Mostly: California Montane Woodland and Chaparral; Great Basin & Intermountain Introduced Annual Grassland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.27 mi W.
How Loyalton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 58th | 83rd | 73rd |
| California | 73rd | 40th | 99th | 97th |
| Central Basin and Range | 99th | 97th | 98th | 51st |
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 Loyalton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sierra Brooks 3 mi · Sierraville 9 mi · Calpine 10 mi · Chilcoot-Vinton 11 mi · Sattley 11 mi · Iron Horse 15 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 Loyalton (39.6769, -120.2448); 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.