community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Gold Hill, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (63rd percentile) and lowest in fall (20th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.1 mi E.
When is the honey flow in Gold Hill?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gold Hill, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 Gold Hill
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi SE.
How Gold Hill ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 30th | 27th | 68th | 54th |
| Colorado | 39th | 41st | 63rd | 20th |
| Southern Rockies | 52nd | 72nd | 54th | 24th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Gold Hill: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sunshine 3 mi · Crisman 3 mi · Sugarloaf 3 mi · Mountain Meadows 3 mi · Glendale 3 mi · Bark Ranch 4 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 Gold Hill (40.0597, -105.4189); 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.