city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Island Park, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 70% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in spring (71st percentile) and lowest in summer (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Island Park?
- First forage: Apr 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jun (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Island Park, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, willows, native wildflowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; 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 0.5 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Sep (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 Island Park
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest; Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow; Rocky Mountain Poor-Site Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.52 mi E.
How Island Park ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 37th | 78th | 87th |
| Idaho | 70th | 71st | 61st | 68th |
| Middle Rockies | 91st | 94th | 90th | 53rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Island Park: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Warm River 29 mi · Ashton 32 mi · Drummond 37 mi · St. Anthony 43 mi · Spencer 43 mi · Parker 45 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 Island Park (44.5342, -111.3378); 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.