community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Big Sky, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in summer (69th percentile) and lowest in spring (30th). Nearest mapped water: open water, 0.59 mi NE.
When is the honey flow in Big Sky?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jun (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (snowberry, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Sky, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, huckleberries; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, huckleberries, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, huckleberries; 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Big Sky
Mostly: Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.59 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.76 mi NE.
How Big Sky ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 20th | 75th | 90th |
| Montana | 68th | 30th | 69th | 66th |
| Middle Rockies | 82nd | 75th | 85th | 62nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Big Sky: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jeffers 19 mi · Ennis 20 mi · McAllister 23 mi · Gallatin Gateway 24 mi · South Glastonbury 26 mi · Corwin Springs 27 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 Big Sky (45.2564, -111.332); 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.