town in Washington
Honey bee forage in Darrington, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (82nd percentile) and lowest in fall (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: clover and wildflowers (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Darrington?
- First forage: Feb 16 (willows, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (summer-flowering shrubs, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Darrington, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, himalayan blackberry, huckleberries, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry, dandelion; 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
- Clover and wildflowers: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SW, blooms early May – 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 Darrington
Mostly: North Pacific Mesic Western Hemlock-Silver Fir Forest; North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; North Pacific Seasonal Sitka Spruce Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.46 mi E.
How Darrington ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 96th | 98th | 82nd | 35th |
| Washington | 84th | 82nd | 62nd | 28th |
| North Cascades | 96th | 96th | 43rd | 27th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 72% 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 Darrington: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Swede Heaven 5 mi · Verlot 13 mi · Oso 14 mi · Rockport 16 mi · Lake Cavanaugh 19 mi · Concrete 20 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 Darrington (48.2588, -121.6078); 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.