community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Woody Creek, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (89th percentile) and lowest in spring (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Woody Creek?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Woody Creek, 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 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-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 195 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 2 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 Woody Creek
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland; Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.02 mi E.
How Woody Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 36th | 79th | 84th |
| Colorado | 87th | 53rd | 89th | 69th |
| Southern Rockies | 89th | 88th | 87th | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 58% 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 Woody Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Snowmass Village 5 mi · Aspen 6 mi · Basalt 11 mi · Norrie 13 mi · El Jebel 14 mi · Catherine 17 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 Woody Creek (39.2709, -106.8883); 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.