'Most Dangerous' Mountain Trail Claims NJ Hiker

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A man from Bergen County was found dead Thursday on what's considered the "toughest and most dangerous" hiking trail on the East Coast, officials said.

Linhu Jin, 54, from Palisades Park, was found Thursday evening on the Devil's Path Trail in Lexington, N.Y., according to the New York State Police.

Police said a group of hikers came across an unresponsive man near Spruceton Road. State troopers from the Catskill region responded around 6:45 p.m.

Jin was pronounced deceased at the scene. No foul play is suspected, police said.

A guide to the Northern Catskills says the trali is "described as the toughest and most dangerous hiking trail in the Eastern United States," popular because it offers hikers the chance to climb five of 35 Catskill High Peaks.

The Times Union wrote last month that the 26-mile trail "is renowned for its rugged and forbidding terrain [and] is one of the most demanding in the region, if not the entire country" and "attracts hikers seeking to test their endurance and skills ... with steep climbs and dips that frequently require both hands and feet."

State police were assisted by the New York State Forest Rangers, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lexington Fire Company, police said.