town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (82nd percentile) and lowest in spring (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.6 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hot Sulphur Springs?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jun (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hot Sulphur Springs, 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): 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): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 1 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 Hot Sulphur Springs
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi NW.
How Hot Sulphur Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 32nd | 76th | 84th |
| Colorado | 80th | 46th | 82nd | 70th |
| Southern Rockies | 82nd | 82nd | 78th | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Hot Sulphur Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Parshall 4 mi · Granby 10 mi · Kremmling 15 mi · Tabernash 15 mi · Heeney 17 mi · Grand Lake 19 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 Hot Sulphur Springs (40.0749, -106.1032); 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.