community in California
Honey bee forage in McCloud, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (90th percentile) and lowest in spring (56th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.19 mi W.
When is the honey flow in McCloud?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, maples)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of McCloud, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, ceanothus: redstem; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, ceanothus: redstem; 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 McCloud
Mostly: Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Lower Montane Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi SW.
How McCloud ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 68th | 83rd | 64th | 44th |
| California | 65th | 56th | 90th | 79th |
| Cascades | 36th | 56th | 25th | 73rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 73% 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 McCloud: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dunsmuir 7 mi · Castella 10 mi · Mount Shasta 10 mi · Weed 17 mi · Carrick 18 mi · Big Bend 20 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 McCloud (41.2547, -122.1362); 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.