A window to the world from the biggest front porch awaits those who dare to get out of their cars and hike to the 102-year old, West Point Inn, a secluded rustic getaway perched between the trees on the southern slope of Mt. Tamalpais.
By Michelle Moday
Published: February, 2007
It’s about two miles from the Pan Toll Ranger Station on Panoramic Hwy., in Mill Valley, on a wide, easy-grade path where red Manzanitas grow near green volcanic rock, cold streams and dark patches of the tall California trees. Hawks circle overhead with just a slightly better view of the East Bay, the Headlands and the ocean, as the path winds its way past an old bathtub filled with rainwater and then, picnic tables at the Inn.
Follow the steps up past the history tableau and mountain lion warning sign, by the geological display cases and the no cell phone sign on the porch into the parlor. Coffee, tea, granola, and hot chocolate are out on a table for the day hikers who forget nourishment but have cash in their pocket.
Welcome to the honor system, says Gee Heckscher, a San Francisco resident who volunteers at the Inn (as people have been doing for 60 years). He asks, You’re familiar with the history right?
West Point Inn was once the stopping point for passengers making the journey their way to Stinson or Bolinas from Mill Valley on the steam train that puffed up the mountain on what was called the crookedest railroad in the world. Between 1904 and 1930, it was a nice place to stretch and eat at the restaurant. There were no trees around the Inn then. Now, there are lots of trees, but no tracks. And, the Inn is no longer an intermediary stop, but a destination; though it still beckons guests to relax or stretch their legs, and to eat.
Today, overnight guests chop and skillet in the communal kitchen, complete with dishes and cookware. Appliances are state-of-the-art restaurant quality. Heckscher points out, Everything here runs on propane, except the stainless steel refrigerator; that runs on wind and solar power.
Open flame is not allowed: no matches, no candles or lanterns or smoking.
It’s the first thing we tell people, says John Kassner, the onsite Innkeeper. If we lose this, we’ve lost something that can’t be replaced. You can rebuild the structure but not the history. If there is a high-fire warning, they take no chances, and close.
Kassner, wearing a cap and a personal mini radio around his neck, has just returned from a short hike on one of the many trails near Mt. Tamalpais: I said I was going to get 60 minutes in today.
Despite the secluded location kept rather hush-hush by those in the know, attending to guests keeps an innkeeper busy on site. Volunteers like Heckscher help out during work parties and for Sunday pancake breakfasts, which is how Kassner was introduced to West Point. It was in 2000. My sister wanted me to come… It’s a beehive of activity.
Mostly, West Point Inn is a place to understand what it’s like to go barebones, go hiking to work up an appetite, come back, sit by the stone fireplace in the parlor (lit only during low fire season) and hit the pillow.
At the top of a creaky, short staircase in the main cabin, guests sleep in charming rooms, or they stay in separate, 1-room cabins, some with coldwater showers (Brrr). Note: Hot shower in the main cabin for all guests. Two of the cabins have bathrooms: one for wheelchair access, the other is the Honeymoon Cabin. I’m not sure why they call it that, Kassner says. It doesn’t even have a hot tub. But, it was built in 1918 by Dr. Washington Dodge, survivor of the infamous Titanic.
West Point Inn is the only remaining structure of the Mt. Tamalpais railway. Last year, the foundation was reinforced and the members lounge (1920) was renovated. Kassner sits on one of the worn, burgundy couches, diffused light shining through the original windows, and says, They completely removed the walls. Without the walls, the room looks really small.
The view is big; the trek is short. Overnighters, bring extra blankets or a sleeping bag, a flashlight or battery-powered lantern, a towel, a pillowcase and food.
West Point Inn
(415) 388-9955,
www.westpointinn.comDrive or take transit - Golden Gate Transit (weekends only) & Marin County Transit District Shuttle (Mon-Sat) - to Pan Toll Ranger Station (parking fee $6). Take the Mt. Davis trail (east) to Old Railroad Grade (1.8 mi).
