community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Elkhorn, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it ranks highest in summer (40th percentile) and lowest in spring (8th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.17 mi E.
When is the honey flow in Elkhorn?
- First forage: Apr 16 (willows)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (snowberry, huckleberries, willows)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Elkhorn, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, huckleberries, native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot; dark amber
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers, willows; amber
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, fireweed, huckleberries, native wildflowers; water white
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, huckleberries, native wildflowers; amber
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 Elkhorn
Mostly: Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Subalpine Woodland and Parkland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi E.
How Elkhorn ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 20th | 5th | 61st | 74th |
| Montana | 16th | 8th | 40th | 29th |
| Middle Rockies | 32nd | 40th | 42nd | 23rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Elkhorn: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jefferson City 8 mi · Boulder 9 mi · Clancy 12 mi · Basin 16 mi · Radersburg 16 mi · Montana City 17 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 Elkhorn (46.2843, -111.9488); 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.