village in New York
Honey bee forage in Cold Spring, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 19% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in spring (52nd percentile) and lowest in summer (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cold Spring?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cold Spring, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi S, blooms early Jun – 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 Cold Spring
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Central Appalachian Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.32 mi W; open water 0.32 mi W.
How Cold Spring ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 35th | 62nd | 40th | 51st |
| New York | 19th | 52nd | 6th | 44th |
| Northeastern Highlands | 28th | 53rd | 6th | 90th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Cold Spring: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nelsonville 1 mi · Cornwall-on-Hudson 3 mi · Highland Falls 4 mi · Firthcliffe 4 mi · West Point 5 mi · New Windsor 5 mi
All towns in New York · National map · How the scoring works
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 Cold Spring (41.4192, -73.9547); 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.