city in Montana
Honey bee forage in Great Falls, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 3.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 3.1 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Great Falls?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Great Falls, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 130 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Great Falls
Mostly: Developed, medium intensity; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.46 mi W; open water 0.46 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 86% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Great Falls ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 42nd | 45th | 61st | 75th |
| Montana | 61st | 94th | 41st | 30th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 34th | 90th | 21st | 37th |
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 Great Falls: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Black Eagle 3 mi · Gibson Flats 4 mi · Malmstrom AFB 5 mi · Big Stone Colony 8 mi · Sun Prairie 9 mi · Sand Coulee 9 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 Great Falls (47.5025, -111.3); 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.