community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Condon, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.1 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Condon?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Condon, 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): willows, kinnikinnick, huckleberries, snowberry; dark amber
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers, fireweed; water white
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, fireweed, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, huckleberries, native wildflowers; dark 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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 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 Condon
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.15 mi NE; open water 0.28 mi NE.
How Condon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 59th | 83rd | 58th |
| Montana | 94th | 99th | 89th | 8th |
| Northern Rockies | 70th | 77th | 59th | 55th |
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 Condon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kicking Horse 18 mi · Ronan 19 mi · Pablo 20 mi · Turtle Lake 21 mi · Finley Point 23 mi · Charlo 23 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 Condon (47.5344, -113.6911); 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.