city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (86th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Steamboat Springs?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Steamboat 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 May 31.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NW, blooms late 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 Steamboat Springs
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.3 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 65% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Steamboat Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 50th | 84th | 95th |
| Colorado | 98th | 86th | 97th | 92nd |
| Southern Rockies | 99th | 99th | 96th | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 42% 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 Steamboat Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Oak Creek 16 mi · Phippsburg 18 mi · Yampa 23 mi · Hayden 23 mi · Walden 33 mi · Kremmling 37 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 Steamboat Springs (40.4756, -106.8229); 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.