community in Utah
Honey bee forage in La Sal, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Utah. Against other Utah sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (70th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in La Sal?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of La Sal, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, weedy mustards; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, 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 67 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 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 La Sal
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi S.
How La Sal ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 32nd | 41st | 54th | 80th |
| Utah | 78th | 90th | 70th | 80th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 92nd | 95th | 87th | 96th |
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 La Sal: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spanish Valley 15 mi · Castle Valley 24 mi · Moab 24 mi · Monticello 30 mi · Blanding 49 mi · Thompson Springs 52 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 La Sal (38.3011, -109.2657); 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.