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Honey bee forage in Mammoth Lakes, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mammoth Lakes?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, kinnikinnick)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, kinnikinnick)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mammoth Lakes, 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 Jun 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, kinnikinnick, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, kinnikinnick, snowberry; 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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms early Aug – late Sep (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 Mammoth Lakes
Mostly: Sierra Nevada Subalpine Lodgepole Pine Forest and Woodland; Northern California Mesic Subalpine Woodland; California Montane Jeffrey Pine-(Ponderosa Pine) Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi SE.
How Mammoth Lakes ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 35th | 19th | 69th | 76th |
| California | 39th | 24th | 95th | 97th |
| Sierra Nevada | 45th | 28th | 88th | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Mammoth Lakes: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
McGee Creek 11 mi · June Lake 12 mi · Crowley Lake 14 mi · Aspen Springs 17 mi · Sunny Slopes 18 mi · Swall Meadows 21 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 Mammoth Lakes (37.6244, -118.9884); 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.