community in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Boulder Canyon, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 12% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (74th percentile) and lowest in fall (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 3.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Boulder Canyon?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking late May (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (snowberry, sweet clovers, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Boulder Canyon, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, smooth sumac; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, sweet clovers, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, sweet clovers; 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Millet: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Sep (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 Boulder Canyon
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi SW; open water 0.28 mi NE.
How Boulder Canyon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 28th | 39th | 58th | 63rd |
| South Dakota | 12th | 74th | 26th | 17th |
| Middle Rockies | 54th | 95th | 35th | 8th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 76% 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 Boulder Canyon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Crook City 3 mi · Whitewood 5 mi · Sturgis 5 mi · Deadwood 6 mi · Blucksberg Mountain 8 mi · Central City 8 mi
All towns in South Dakota · 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 Boulder Canyon (44.3971, -103.6046); 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.