Bomber Basin Wyoming: Hiking the Glacier Trail Near Dubois

We started this hike with a mission. Somewhere in the mountains outside Dubois, Wyoming, were the remains of a World War II-era bomber, and we wanted to find them.

The problem was, we really didn’t know where the wreckage was.

Unlike most of our hikes, there wasn’t an AllTrails route for us to follow into Bomber Basin. We knew Glacier Trail #801 headed into the mountains from the Trail Lake Trailhead, so we turned on AllTrails to track our route and headed out to explore.

We weren’t following a saved hike. Instead, we were using the app primarily as a GPS breadcrumb trail, knowing we could retrace our steps if necessary. The trail itself also appeared on the map, so we knew we were following an established route deeper into the mountains.

We figured the way to the bomber wreckage would eventually become obvious.

It didn’t.

What we found instead was a beautiful and surprisingly casual morning exploring the Wyoming wilderness. We followed Glacier Trail into Bomber Basin until the trail became increasingly difficult to follow and eventually disappeared into a massive field of boulders.

We climbed partway into the rocks looking for a route forward, but never found one we were confident was correct. From there, we could see Bomber Falls cascading down the mountains in the distance. We found a spot on the rocks, ate our lunch, enjoyed the view, and eventually headed back the way we came.

We never found the airplane wreckage. But by then, it really didn’t matter.

Sometimes the adventure is heading down a trail without knowing exactly where it’s going to take you.

What’s in This Post

Quick Answer: What Is the Bomber Basin Hike?

The Bomber Basin hike near Dubois, Wyoming, follows Glacier Trail #801 from the Trail Lake Trailhead into the Wind River Range. There isn’t a clearly marked Bomber Basin Trail or an AllTrails route leading directly to the airplane wreckage. We followed Glacier Trail into the basin until the trail disappeared at a large boulder field. We never reached the wreckage, but the hike itself was beautiful and well worth exploring.

Finding the Trailhead and Starting on Glacier Trail

We started the morning from our campsite near Trail Lake, just as we had the day before for our hike to Lake Louise. We parked in about the same spot at the Trail Lake Trailhead and headed out on Glacier Trail #801.

There were fewer hikers around than we had seen the previous morning, although the parking area still had plenty of vehicles. Many appeared to have been there overnight, which wasn’t surprising since Glacier Trail continues deep into the Wind River Range.

Early in the hike, we reached a trail junction where the route to Lake Louise splits off. This time, we stayed on Glacier Trail #801, following the sign toward the mountains.

One of the prettiest spots along this early section is where the trail crosses a wooden bridge beside a rushing waterfall. We had passed through the same area on our Lake Louise hike, but this time we crossed the bridge and continued farther along Glacier Trail.

From there, we really didn’t know exactly what to expect.

We could see the trail on the AllTrails map, and our GPS breadcrumb trail was recording behind us, so we were comfortable continuing. There was no mileage countdown to Bomber Basin and no waypoint telling us where we’d find the airplane wreckage.

We just kept following the trail to see where it would take us.

Hiking Deeper Into Bomber Basin

Once we crossed the bridge and continued on Glacier Trail, the hike began to feel much more remote. The trail moved through a mix of pine forest, rocky hillsides and open meadows, with increasingly impressive views of the mountains ahead.

This was also where we settled into the casual pace that defined the morning. Unlike our Lake Louise hike the day before, we weren’t trying to reach a lake or any other clearly defined destination. We were simply following the trail, enjoying the scenery and hoping we would eventually find some indication of where the bomber wreckage was located.

For most of this section, the trail was easy to follow and the hiking wasn’t particularly difficult. There were some rocky stretches and gradual elevation gain, but overall I would rate the hike as easy to moderate.

As we moved farther into Bomber Basin, the scenery became the highlight. Wide green meadows opened beneath rugged mountains, while Glacier Trail continued deeper into the Wind River Range. We encountered very few people and, without a specific destination or turnaround time in mind, it felt like we had plenty of time to simply explore.

Eventually, though, the trail started to change.

The path became less distinct, rocks became more common, and we had to pay closer attention to where the trail was going. We continued forward, still expecting that somewhere ahead the route to the bomber wreckage would become obvious.

Instead, we eventually reached a massive field of boulders.

When the Trail Disappeared Into the Boulder Field

As we approached the upper end of the basin, Glacier Trail became harder to follow before eventually disappearing completely into a massive boulder field.

At first, we thought we could work our way through it. We moved as far to the right as we could, where I could see sunlight through the rocks and what looked like an easier route. After climbing onto the boulders, we stopped to figure out where the trail might continue.

That left us with two choices. We could climb higher to the left or work our way down through the lower rocks to the right. There were no trail markers, cairns or other obvious signs telling us which direction was correct. If we had continued, I think we would have chosen the lower route.

We found a comfortable spot on the rocks, pulled out our lunch and took in the view. In the distance, we could clearly see Bomber Falls cascading down the mountainside. Even from where we sat, it looked huge, and we hated knowing we weren’t going to get any closer.

Somewhere beyond us was also the airplane wreckage we’d set out hoping to find that morning. We never saw it.

After lunch, we climbed back down from the boulders, picked up the trail again and retraced our GPS breadcrumb trail toward the Trail Lake Trailhead.

Is Bomber Basin Worth Hiking?

Yes. Even though we never found the airplane wreckage or made it all the way to Bomber Falls, I would still recommend hiking into Bomber Basin.

This wasn’t a hike where reaching the destination made the day worthwhile. For us, the fun was exploring a trail without knowing exactly what we would find. We crossed a rushing waterfall, hiked through open meadows and rocky terrain, and watched the mountains grow more impressive as we traveled deeper into the basin.

It was also a much more casual hike than Lake Louise the previous day. We weren’t in a hurry and didn’t have a particular turnaround time. We were simply enjoying a beautiful morning in the Wyoming wilderness.

Would I have liked to find the bomber wreckage? Absolutely. And seeing Bomber Falls in the distance made me wish we could have gotten closer.

But when the trail disappeared into the boulder field, we were satisfied with what we’d found. We ate lunch on the rocks, enjoyed the view and headed back.

Sometimes you find exactly what you set out looking for. Other times, the exploring turns out to be the best part.

For another great hike near Dubois, we also hiked the Popo Agie Falls Trail in nearby Sinks Canyon.

Bomber Basin Wyoming FAQ

Is there a Bomber Basin Trail on AllTrails?

We couldn’t find a dedicated Bomber Basin hike on AllTrails. Instead, we followed Glacier Trail #801 from the Trail Lake Trailhead and used AllTrails as a GPS breadcrumb trail to record our route and help us retrace our steps.

Where does the Bomber Basin hike start?

We started at the Trail Lake Trailhead near Dubois, Wyoming. Follow Glacier Trail #801 at the junction with the Lake Louise Trail and continue across the wooden bridge toward Bomber Basin.

Did we find the bomber wreckage?

No. Finding the airplane wreckage was our original goal, but we never reached it. The trail became increasingly difficult to follow and eventually disappeared into a large boulder field. We turned around there after stopping for lunch and enjoying a distant view of Bomber Falls.

How difficult is the hike into Bomber Basin?

We would rate the hike easy to moderate to our turnaround point. Most of Glacier Trail was easy to follow with manageable elevation gain. The difficulty changed near the boulder field, where the established trail disappeared and continuing would have required considerably more route-finding and scrambling.

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Have you hiked into Bomber Basin or made it all the way to the bomber wreckage? We’d especially love to hear how you navigated the boulder field and which route you took. Leave a comment below and share your experience. Your advice might help us, and other hikers, make it farther next time.