community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Chinook, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cranberries (nearest 1.0 mi NW).
When is the honey flow in Chinook?
- First forage: Feb 1 (willows, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chinook, 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 Apr 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry, huckleberries; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, himalayan blackberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry, huckleberries; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Cranberries: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NW, blooms early May – early Jun
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 Chinook
Mostly: Open water; North Pacific Seasonal Sitka Spruce Forest; North Pacific Lowland Riparian Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi NE.
How Chinook ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 99th | 66th | 27th |
| Washington | 87th | 94th | 19th | 23rd |
| Coast Range | 61st | 72nd | 50th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 73% 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 Chinook: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ilwaco 5 mi · Long Beach 8 mi · Naselle 10 mi · Deep River 13 mi · Rosburg 14 mi · Altoona 15 mi
All towns in Washington · 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 Chinook (46.2755, -123.9422); 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.