community in Colorado

Honey bee forage in Hidden Lake, Colorado

Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (74th percentile) and lowest in fall (29th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.

When is the honey flow in Hidden Lake?

  • First forage: Apr 1 (willows)
  • Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jun (huckleberries, willows, snowberry)
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hidden Lake, 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 Jun 7.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): willows, huckleberries, dandelion, native wildflowers; dark amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Summer honey (July and August): huckleberries, snowberry, fireweed, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
  • Fall honey (September to November): fireweed, snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): willows, huckleberries, fireweed, snowberry; 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 Hidden Lake

Mostly: Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Rocky Mountain Subalpine Dry-Mesic Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi E.

How Hidden Lake ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US41st28th73rd61st
Colorado60th42nd74th29th
Southern Rockies66th74th69th34th

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 Hidden Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Bark Ranch 2 mi · Ward 3 mi · Gold Hill 4 mi · Jamestown 5 mi · Glendale 6 mi · Sunshine 6 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 Hidden Lake (40.1052, -105.4776); 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.