city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Park Rapids, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 42% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Park Rapids?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Park Rapids, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dry Beans, dandelion; white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dry Beans, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, dry Beans, alfalfa; extra 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
- Sunflower: about 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SW, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 310 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 53 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi W, blooms early Jul – early 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 Park Rapids
Mostly: Laurentian Jack Pine-Red Pine Forest; Open water; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.31 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 62% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Park Rapids ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 53rd | 80th | 95th |
| Minnesota | 42nd | 62nd | 45th | 86th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 42nd | 55th | 43rd | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 37% 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 Park Rapids: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hubbard 6 mi · Osage 10 mi · Nevis 11 mi · Menahga 11 mi · Wolf Lake 16 mi · Akeley 17 mi
All towns in Minnesota · 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 Park Rapids (46.9164, -95.0579); 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.