community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Silver Gate, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 12% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (73rd percentile) and lowest in spring (3rd). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, 0.72 mi SE.
When is the honey flow in Silver Gate?
- First forage: Apr 16 (willows)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (native wildflowers, huckleberries, snowberry)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (native wildflowers, fireweed, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Silver Gate, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, willows, arrowleaf balsamroot, huckleberries; dark amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, huckleberries, snowberry, fireweed; extra light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): native wildflowers, fireweed, huckleberries, snowberry; white
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, huckleberries, fireweed, snowberry; extra light 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 Silver Gate
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Subalpine Dry-Mesic Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Northern Rocky Mountain Subalpine Woodland and Parkland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.72 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.73 mi SE.
How Silver Gate ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 19th | 1st | 56th | 92nd |
| Montana | 12th | 3rd | 29th | 73rd |
| Middle Rockies | 28th | 19th | 30th | 67th |
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 Silver Gate: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cooke City 3 mi · Nye 30 mi · Jardine 31 mi · Roscoe 33 mi · Luther 33 mi · Gardiner 37 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 Silver Gate (45.0198, -109.9829); 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.