community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Canyon Creek, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (76th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.4 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Canyon Creek?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Canyon Creek, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows, native wildflowers; 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, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; 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 86 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Canyon Creek
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi E.
How Canyon Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 43rd | 78th | 97th |
| Montana | 88th | 93rd | 76th | 90th |
| Middle Rockies | 94th | 96th | 90th | 86th |
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 Canyon Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Marysville 4 mi · Helena Valley Northwest 11 mi · Helena Valley West Central 14 mi · Helena West Side 16 mi · Wolf Creek 16 mi · Helena Valley Northeast 16 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 Canyon Creek (46.8054, -112.2545); 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.