community in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Mountain Plains, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 15% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it ranks highest in spring (45th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mountain Plains?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mountain Plains, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, smooth sumac, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, sweet clovers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some months
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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early 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 Mountain Plains
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) 0.05 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi SE.
How Mountain Plains ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 30th | 33rd | 61st | 75th |
| South Dakota | 15th | 45th | 31st | 30th |
| Middle Rockies | 58th | 91st | 41st | 25th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Mountain Plains: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spearfish 3 mi · North Spearfish 4 mi · Central City 8 mi · St. Onge 9 mi · Deadwood 9 mi · Lead 9 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 Mountain Plains (44.467, -103.8636); 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.