town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Del Norte, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in fall (95th percentile) and lowest in summer (84th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 2.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Del Norte?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), willows)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late May (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Del Norte, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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 284 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms early Jul – 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 Del Norte
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.29 mi NW.
How Del Norte ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 49th | 77th | 97th |
| Colorado | 93rd | 85th | 84th | 95th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 98th | 93rd | 98th | 98th |
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 Del Norte: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gerrard 12 mi · Alpine 13 mi · Monte Vista 13 mi · Center 14 mi · South Fork 16 mi · Hooper 26 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 Del Norte (37.678, -106.353); 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.