Dozens of hikers fall ill with severe stomach bug while camping near idyllic Grand Canyon waterfalls

They’re not happy campers.

A popular picturesque camping site surrounded by crystal-clear waterfalls near the Grand Canyon transformed into a nightmarish getaway for scores of tourists who caught a severe stomach bug at the destination.

Dozens of hikers at the Havasupai reservation campsite in Arizona reported experiencing symptoms of “gastrointestinal illness” on social media, at a nearby clinic and to local health officials — though a complete count hasn’t been officially conducted.

One county named the norovirus specifically in its warning to hikers visiting Havasupai — which attracts thousands of tourists each year.

Some of those who had fallen ill were too weak to hike out of the remote campsite at the bottom of the canyon — which isn’t accessible by car — and had to be taken out by helicopter, according to FOX-10 Phoenix.

Madelyn Melchiors, 32, was one of the unlucky campers who contracted the illness. She said she was vomiting severely on Monday and had a fever that lasted for multiple days after pitching a tent on the Havasupai reservation.

The veterinarian from Kingman, Arizona was able to gather up enough strength to hike 10 winding miles out of the site but passed off her camping gear and other belongings to a mule that carried it out.

“I said, ‘If someone can just pack out my 30-pound pack, I think I can just limp along,’” said Melchiors, an experienced and regular backpacker. “I slept 16 hours and drank a bunch of electrolytes [afterward]. I’m still not normal, but I will be OK. I’m grateful for that.”

Environmental health officers with the federal Indian Health Service were deployed to Havasupai to try to locate the source of the outbreak and add measures to prevent further spread.

It’s unclear what the source of the spread is, but Melchiors said she drank from a spring that is tested and approved as potable and other water sources using a filter that screens out bacteria and protozoa. The common gravity-fed filters used by hikers and campers, however, don’t often screen out viruses.

The Havasupai Tribe Tourism Office said it tested the water from the local spring visitors use for drinking water last week and determined it was safe for human consumption.

Meanwhile, an Indian Health Service-run clinic on the site of the reservation is tending to ill patients and visitors.

“Our priority is the health and well-being of the Havasupai residents and visitors, and we are working closely with local health authorities and other partners to manage this situation effectively,” the agency said in a statement.

Coconino County health officials warned visitors to the site after a group of hikers reported experiencing “gastrointestinal illness.”

“Watch for early symptoms of norovirus, such as stomach pain and nausea, before the trip. Norovirus spreads easily on camping trips, especially when clean water supplies can be limited and hand washing facilities may be non-existent. Isolate people who are sick from other campers,” the county said.

Many visitors to the reservation have documented their horror stories on social media in recent days — sharing their misfortune with gastrointestinal issues while reporting sights of toilet paper, plastic bottles and other trash littering the trails.

With Post wires