city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Clayton, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 21% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in fall (57th percentile) and lowest in spring (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.6 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Clayton?
- First forage: Apr 16 (arrowleaf balsamroot, native wildflowers, willows)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (native wildflowers, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Clayton, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, willows, dandelion; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, huckleberries; amber
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, snowberry; amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, arrowleaf balsamroot; amber
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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi E, blooms late Jul – late 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 Clayton
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.22 mi SW.
How Clayton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 20th | 7th | 57th | 82nd |
| Idaho | 21st | 18th | 26th | 57th |
| Middle Rockies | 32nd | 45th | 34th | 38th |
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 Clayton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Challis 19 mi · Stanley 27 mi · Ketchum 40 mi · Sun Valley 40 mi · Mackay 45 mi · Hailey 52 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 Clayton (44.2592, -114.3831); 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.