city in Montana
Honey bee forage in Three Forks, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (57th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 3.0 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 2.9 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Three Forks?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Three Forks, 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 17.
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): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 82 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 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 Three Forks
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi SW.
How Three Forks ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 75th | 83rd | 87th |
| Montana | 98th | 100th | 89th | 57th |
| Middle Rockies | 99th | 100th | 96th | 53rd |
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 Three Forks: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wheatland 5 mi · Logan 6 mi · Willow Creek 7 mi · Gallatin River Ranch 11 mi · Manhattan 11 mi · Ponderosa Pines 13 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 Three Forks (45.8896, -111.5527); 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.