community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Tabernash, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in fall (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tabernash?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jun (native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tabernash, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers, willows, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi SE, blooms late Jul – early Oct (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 Tabernash
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
How Tabernash ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 23rd | 73rd | 97th |
| Colorado | 76th | 37th | 76th | 95th |
| Southern Rockies | 79th | 65th | 70th | 93rd |
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 Tabernash: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fraser 4 mi · Granby 7 mi · Winter Park 8 mi · Eldora 14 mi · Hot Sulphur Springs 15 mi · St. Mary's 15 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 Tabernash (39.9788, -105.844); 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.