Dozens of hikers fall ill along Pacific Crest Trail in California

• Dozens of Pacific Crest Trail hikers have fallen ill with a contagious stomach flu near Wrightwood, California.
• Medical staff have identified the illness as norovirus, which causes vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
• Similar norovirus outbreaks have occurred on other popular trails, including the Appalachian Trail and in Grand Canyon National Park.
• The Pacific Crest Trail Association advises hikers to wash hands frequently, treat water, and avoid sharing food or drinks.

There have been dozens of reports of Pacific Crest Trail hikers in Southern California falling ill to a highly contagious stomach flu that continues to spread.  

Norovirus has sickened hikers along the trail near Wrightwood in the San Gabriel Mountains of San Bernardino County.

The Pacific Crest Trail Association announced on social media that they are aware of a “gastrointestinal illness in the Wrightwood area.” 

In San Bernardino County, the trail runs through Wrightwood, the Cajon Pass, Hesperia, Big Bear and south toward Riverside County.

Over the last two weeks, the virus has led to at least two dozen hikers falling ill and at least one air rescue, prompting rural communities to take health precautions, according to SFGate. 

Hikers who were taken to urgent care facilities in Hesperia and Victorville were told by medical staff that they had norovirus.

Noroviruses often cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps, according to the California Department of Public Health. 

Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads quickly and easily between people. It can spread in places such as schools, shelters, jails/prisons, camps, hospitals, nursing homes and cruise ships.

Norovirus outbreaks strike hikers

The Pacific Crest Trail Association said norovirus outbreaks have occurred on trails around the world.

Last summer, hikers along the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail experienced a norovirus outbreak, while a 2022 outbreak sickened at least 222 people in Grand Canyon National Park.

It takes about five months for Pacific Crest Trail hikers, known as thru-hikers, to make the nearly 2,650-mile grueling trek from Mexico to Canada.

Norovirus facts

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that every year in the United States, norovirus has caused:

• 19 to 21 million illnesses
• 2,270,000 outpatient clinic visits annually, mostly in young children
• 465,000 emergency department visits, mostly in young children
• 109,000 hospitalizations
• 900 deaths, mostly among adults aged 65 years and older

Every year, reported norovirus outbreaks are reported across the country, with surges most common from November to April.   

How to reduce your chances of falling ill with norovirus

• The Pacific Crest Trail Association offered the following suggestions to reduce the chances of contracting communicable diseases:
• Wash your hands frequently with biodegradable soap at least 200 feet from water sources. When soap is not available, use hand sanitizer that contains 60-95% alcohol. 
• Boil or chemically treat water if you are worried about norovirus. 
• Avoid sharing food. Do not eat out of the same food bag, share utensils or drink from other hikers’ water bottles.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

If you become sick with norovirus: Drink plenty of fluids and wash hands often. Seek medical treatment, especially if you become dehydrated or if the illness lasts more than a few days. 

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz