city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Challis, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in summer (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Challis?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Challis, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 1,574 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 4 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 Challis
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.53 mi SW.
How Challis ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 49th | 75th | 90th |
| Idaho | 76th | 88th | 53rd | 75th |
| Middle Rockies | 93rd | 98th | 85th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Challis: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Clayton 19 mi · Stanley 40 mi · Leadore 44 mi · Salmon 49 mi · Mackay 51 mi · Ketchum 57 mi
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 Challis (44.5058, -114.2283); 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.