town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Hayden, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (81st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); safflower (nearest 1.7 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hayden?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hayden, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 371 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early 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 Hayden
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi SW.
How Hayden ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 48th | 84th | 98th |
| Colorado | 98th | 81st | 96th | 97th |
| Wyoming Basin | 100th | 100th | 100th | 99th |
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 Hayden: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Craig 15 mi · Oak Creek 22 mi · Steamboat Springs 23 mi · Phippsburg 24 mi · Yampa 30 mi · Maybell 43 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 Hayden (40.4922, -107.2643); 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.