city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Cañon City, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cañon City?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 31 (alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cañon City, 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 Apr 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra 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 18 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early 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 Cañon City
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 82% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Cañon City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 87th | 73rd | 65th |
| Colorado | 98th | 100th | 75th | 36th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 99th | 100th | 97th | 30th |
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 Cañon City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lincoln Park 1 mi · Brookside 3 mi · Park Center 3 mi · Williamsburg 5 mi · Rockvale 6 mi · Coal Creek 7 mi
All towns in Colorado · 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 Cañon City (38.4419, -105.2209); 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.