community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Racetrack, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.8 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Racetrack?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- 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 Racetrack, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows, native wildflowers; extra 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, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 337 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 5 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 Racetrack
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.09 mi W.
How Racetrack ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 53rd | 85th | 99th |
| Montana | 97th | 97th | 92nd | 96th |
| Middle Rockies | 98th | 98th | 97th | 95th |
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 Racetrack: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Deer Lodge 8 mi · Garrison 19 mi · Walkerville 19 mi · Basin 22 mi · Goldcreek 23 mi · Elliston 24 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 Racetrack (46.277, -112.7436); 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.