community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Goldcreek, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in summer (77th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Goldcreek?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Goldcreek, 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 26.
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; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, 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
- Alfalfa: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, 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 Goldcreek
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi N.
How Goldcreek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 51st | 79th | 97th |
| Montana | 92nd | 97th | 77th | 90th |
| Middle Rockies | 95th | 98th | 91st | 87th |
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 Goldcreek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Garrison 6 mi · Drummond 12 mi · Hall 13 mi · Deer Lodge 16 mi · Maxville 16 mi · Avon 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 Goldcreek (46.5838, -112.9284); 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.