city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Salida, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (58th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Salida?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Salida, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, alfalfa; extra 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 46 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 5 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 Salida
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.2 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.44 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 68% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Salida ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 54th | 54th | 67th | 77th |
| Colorado | 81st | 92nd | 62nd | 58th |
| Southern Rockies | 83rd | 99th | 53rd | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Salida: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Smeltertown 2 mi · Poncha Springs 4 mi · Howard 12 mi · Maysville 12 mi · Coaldale 16 mi · Nathrop 16 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 Salida (38.5301, -105.9984); 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.