Lima is on the Red Rock River some fifteen miles from Monida Pass, which separates Montana from Idaho. The community was originally called Allerdice; then, when a station of the Utah and Northern (Union Pacific) was built there, it was called Spring Hill. The name Lima was chosen by Henry Thompson for his home, Lima, Wisconsin. (from Cheney's
Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company)
Not far from Lima, Red Rock Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the extreme southwest portion of Montana near the Idaho border. The Centennial Mountains rise steeply to the south providing a scenic atmosphere. The Refuge was established in 1935 to protect the rare trumpeter swan. Today, the Refuge continues to be one of the most important habitats in North America for these majestic birds.
Here you will find abundant opportunities to hike, camp, fish, take pictures, and observe a variety of wildlife and flowers. In the evening you can listen to the rare trumpeter swans call. Although many game animals roam the refuge (moose, deer, antelope), this is primarily a bird sanctuary, providing habitat for over 230 species of birds. Bird-watching is prime with 50,000 ducks and geese and up to 2,000 whistling swans gathering in early fall. Springtime provides nesting grounds for the sandhill cranes.
