city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Granite Falls, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in summer (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: clover and wildflowers (nearest 2.0 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Granite Falls?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Granite Falls, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, himalayan blackberry; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples; 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
- Clover and wildflowers: about 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi W, blooms late Apr – late Aug (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 Granite Falls
Mostly: North Pacific Maritime Mesic-Wet Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 59% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Granite Falls ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 95th | 98th | 76th | 45th |
| Washington | 81st | 84th | 38th | 39th |
| Puget Lowland | 30th | 31st | 48th | 70th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Granite Falls: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Canyon Creek 2 mi · Lake Bosworth 2 mi · Lochsloy 4 mi · Lake Cassidy 5 mi · Sisco Heights 7 mi · Machias 8 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 Granite Falls (48.0896, -121.9692); 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.