West Point Inn

What a special place. My wife surprised my by taking me for a hike up for the pancake visit. She said it was a short 2 miles, little did we know that it was 2 miles straight up. Fine for me but seem to be a little challenge for my little 4 year old. What a trooper. She did it! Once arriving we realized that we had missed the event. What a bummer, my daughter had been talking about pancakes all morning long.
Fortunately there was plently of kind generous people happy to make a dad’s day a little easier on fathers day. First was a very kind spirited lady named Rose. She went above and beyond. She spoiled me with generous offerings of friittas, vegatables and cheese cake. (shh, was for volenteers only but like I said, made a dad feel very special). Next the couple across from us gave my little girl one of their pancakes. Whoo hoo! We got our pancake. Bacon, Bacon Pancakes…
After the excitement settle we could enjoy the beautiful view from the top of Mt. Tam. It was amazing. I would love to go back and stay a night or two. The members I met seemed very friendly and I hope to someday soon become one as well.
Maybe they need a good chiropractor…

I love West Point in and have stayed there twice. Recently I feel that it is being run as a members only club on public land. I have tried to book multiple times, and had my reservation deleted because a member had booked the same space, or I reserved 5 days more that 3 months before the date I wanted to stay. The reservation volunteer was snippy and slightly accusatory on the phone, as if I was trying to cheat them somehow, even though their reservation system let me make the booking, even though I had said on the online form that I was NOT a member. Every weekend can book, because it is less than 3 months out, is unavailable. I honestly do not think it is possible to book as a non member. I have attempted 6 times in the last 8 months, without finding an open weekend.

I used to love West Point Inn, but they have recently ruined an important gathering for a group of 5 families and 20 friends via terrible communication and a flawed web booking system.
Here goes.
1. We booked rooms online, staying up to midnight on the first day we could snag them.
2. Three weeks later, we all got confirmations.
3. After another four weeks, we got terse notes saying our rooms were cancelled because a «member had previously booked the entire Inn.» There was no apology or explanation, really. They claim this was shown on the website, yet we were allowed to spend money, book rooms, and receive confirmations. LOL.
4. Le sigh.
So, this group included 8 web-​savvy adults using their website. And now it’s too late to find a back-​up space for our gathering.
My advice: It’s beautiful, almost magical. JUST GO FOR THE DAY. If you want to try an overnight, don’t try to book this place for more than one room at a time. Don’t expect the online reservations to mean anything, even when your credit card is charged and you receive a confirmation. It’s a great option for couples or small families as long as you have back-​up options ready. Cancellation can arrive quite late, apparently.

Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust, das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust, das Wa-​a-​ndern! Dieses altbekannte Volkslied ging mir durch den Kopf, als ich am vergangenen Wochenende den Aufstieg zum West Point Inn begann.
Ich hatte vom legendären Pancake Breakfast im West-​Point bereits schon viel gehört und hatte gleich die Termine im Kalender rot angestrichen: was kann es besseres geben, als ein wunderbares Frühstück am Ende einer Wanderung. Wir hatten unseren Aufstieg in Mill Valley begonnen, am Fuße des Tenderfoot Trails. Dann haben wir von dort aus den Nora Trail verfolgt, der sich durch den Wald und an einem kleinen Bach entlang hoch zum West Point Inn hochschlängelt. Alternativ, kann man auch den Forstweg gehen, der sich etwas weniger holprig und weniger steil zum Ziel am Berg entlang windet.
Oben angekommen (und immer mal wieder zwischendurch) kann man die wunderbare Aussicht über die gesamte Bay Area genießen. Am gestrigen Tag erwartete uns gleich schon eine Heerschar von Wanderern, Läufern und Fahrradfahrern — alle waren sie hier, um Pfannkuchen zu essen. Und so funktioniert’s: man gibt seine Bestellung am Fenster auf und sobald die Pfannkuchen fertig sind, werden sie von den freiwilligen Helfern an die Tische gebracht. Auf den Tischen befinden sich Ahornsirup und Marmelade, mit denen man seine Pfannkuchen «verschönern» kann.
An «normalen» Tagen ist das West Point Inn eine Herberge — man kann eine der Hütten mieten und sich fernab von aller Hektik den schönen Dingen des Lebens widmen: essen, lesen, schlafen…
Tipp: beim nächsten Pancake Breakfast werde ich noch ein paar Utensilien mitbringen, wie frisches Obst und andere Leckereien. So kann man eine richtig-​nette Brotzeit hier machen!

We did this again a little over a year later. More people there this time and they were all interesting and good folks. Overcast and cold but still felt great. Sunny the next morning and we hiked the longer way back through Mountain Theater. So lovely and we saw not one other person.

Wow. What a gem. Hiked up from mountain home inn. Stayed in the honeymoon cabin during a full moon which has a ton of great history. Inn keeper was really nice. Will return again. The kitchen has everything you need to cook a nice meal with. Bring a good amount of wine or spirits. Great accommodations.

One of my favorite (easy) hikes is up to the West Point Inn.
Park in the lot across the street from the Mountain Home Inn and walk north toward the Fire Station. Follow the the Matt Davis Trail to the Nora Trail up to West Point Inn. Its about 2 miles each way. While you cover a bit of elevation the grade is fairly gradual. The trails are fairly wide, so great for running with a few friends.
Go for the views. They are breathtaking!

West Point Inn is in such a gorgeous spot. After a two mile hike in, you are rewarded with sweeping views of San Francisco, the east bay, and the ocean. The Inn itself is homey and basic. Honestly, I’ve never stayed overnight… but I’m a huge fan of the monthly pancake breakfasts!
May through October, the Inn holds a fundraising pancake breakfast one Sunday a month. Check their website for specific dates. They serve 9am to 1pm. An adult breakfast is $ 10 and consists of pancakes, sausage, and coffee. The adult portion is huge, even considering you’ve worked up a good appetite during your hike in. I usually opt for the kid breakfast, which is $ 5. Same stuff, just a little less of it.
Families and dogs and cyclists and hikers can all be found wolfing down pancakes together. It’s a nice little community scene. All with a breathtaking view. Don’t leave without playing a game of horseshoes… and saying thanks to the volunteers. :)

Park at Pan Toll and come early. The lots fill up by 10am on weekends. Cross the street and take Old Stage Road, which starts out paved and becomes a dirt road with lots of rocks.
The Pancake Breakfast events — I would rate the food very basic. However, the scene is very special. It feels like a big lodge. The crowd is warm & friendly. .. one big community. Of note, I saw one group pack their own champagne and added orange juice. Yum. .. mimosas!

Very basic place to spend the night… bring your sleeping bag and own food… but what a place to hang out drink, hike, cook and be one with Mt Tam

I’ve never stayed there but was doing a 100+ mile headlands mountain bike ride. Out of food and water and with another 30 miles till home, their snack bar and beverages gave me the energy and moral to the slog on home.
The snackbar is full of yummy granola bars, cup a noodles – all sorts of good sweet and salty stuff. A sign read the prices and that payment was on the honor code. How cool I thought grabbing a few granola bars and a cup of soup. I had a $ 20 in my bag, put it in the jar and took out whatever my change was. An employee suddenly appears and proceeds to lead me out of the place. Did he think I took money out of the jar? I dunno but until it’s actually on the honor code, I’ll pack my own snax next time.

Romantic… alone or not…
lovely…peaceful…meditating…somber.exciting…fabulous…magical
Plus, if it is on Mt Tam, yes, a must see, visit… live… be there. all of that…

I’m tentative to leave a review about WPI, because I don’t want to give away how utterly amazing this place is. I was recently a guest at a birthday party renting out the entire spot. This is a volunteer-​based organization. I was expecting a super rustic, outhouse, kind of deal and I can honestly say I had one the best slumbers of my life here!
Top 5 reasons to stay at WPI:
1. it’s on Mt Tam, one of the most magical places in the Bay Area
2. it has an awesome industrial kitchen to have great dinner parties… on the top of Mt Tam!
3. Pat, one of the volunteer innkeepers has incredible stories and can lure coyotes with a single call (perhaps that last part was a bit of exaggeration…)
4. they have such sweet rooms, both common and private along with cabins, one of which is haunted. wooooOOOOoooo :-)
5. Umm… where else can you rent an entire inn for $ 600 a night (IF you become a member.)
The West Point Inn has me enchanted for life!

I was a little miffed that their site said the hike up from Stinson Beach was 2 hours. Usually you read «estimates» like that and you know it’ll only take like an hour and a half if you’re taking your time. But it took us a good 2 and a half hours to get up there, and only after we rushed the last half of our hike!
That hike itself: not too steep, mostly in the woods, some weaving in and out of golden grass fields higher up in the hills (Matt Davis trail). The last 2 miles is all sun though, and HOT (Old Stage Rd).
So any way. this was all pretty much worth it for their monthly pancake breakfast. They aren’t the most gourmet pancakes, but when you’re famished from a hike and it’s all cooked by volunteers, everyday people like you and me, it’s a good deal.
Pancakes ($ 10 for 4 + coffee, $ 5 for 2 + sausages) — soft & fluffy
Sausages — good crisp
They also offer: cantaloupe, coffee, juice.
After 1pm, they go around with their big trays of extra foods. They’ll start offering 6 sausages for $ 1. I bartered and got double that. But then to my dismay. they started giving out the rest of the sausages for free! Oh well, we got some free pancakes out of this.
The view is nice. You can see lots of North Bay and northern East Bay. Direct view of Tiburon, Sausalito, and Alcatraz when you look towards the city. We were debating whether the Golden Gate bridge was covered by the fog or by the mountains themselves.
The volunteers are also friendly (though it was hard watching them get their volunteer meal of more «real» food of corn, cuts of beef, and potato salad). When we asked, they helped us figure out a different route down. MAKE SURE to end up on the Steep Ravine trail down to Stinson beach. You follow this stream w/​lots of little waterfalls. Then you end up in this open field w/​flowers & various plants, a cool ocean breeze on your face, and a gorgeous view of the entirety of Stinson Beach. This was a fabulous way to end the hike!

I don’t know if this is still operational as a hotel, but for me it’s a great destination for a Mount Tamalpais loop hike. This site is known for being essential to the railroad history of Mount Tam.
I usually do this hike by combining (in possible varying order depending on whether park my car by the Pantoll Station or up at the Rock Springs lot) the Old Stage Road, Rock Springs Trail, and Old Mine Trail (occasionally the last one will be substituted by the Easy Grade Trail). This combination covers approximately 4.5 miles. From here, fantastic views are to be absorbed from the West Point Inn. There are picnic tables and a bench for relaxing. On weekends, you can get water or a few other drinks for $ 1 with an «honor system» where there’s a container to put our money in.

If you’re the type of gal or fella that enjoys those off the beaten path sorta places, and I really mean only those places accessed by the beaten path, then West Point Inn is a choice destination for your next leisurely hike.
To get there, you don’t necessarily have to be packing gear, in fact one of the peeps in my posse rocked Timberlands, jeans and a dress shirt. Nothing quite like hiking en stilo. Nevertheless, the terrain varies slightly, but you’ll mostly be on a narrowish dirt trail with trees shading overhead. You’ll cross creeks, probably see a few lizards, maybe even a snake or two, and plenty of new parents with babies on their backs. Leashed dogs and horses are allowed along some trails and camping is available in specified locations.
Thankfully, the trail isn’t really congested, so you can rest assured knowing no one’s going to be stepping on your heels, but no one will be too far away should there be an emergency.
Once you hit West Point Inn, you’re at a historic stopover (built in 1904) once used by passengers who rode the «Crookedest Railroad in the World» up from Mill Valley to the top of the mountain. If you’re a hiking or biking history buff, you’ll be super pleased. It’s all wooden and creaky and if you happen upon a Sunday, you can enjoy their famous pancake breakfast. Warning: be prepared to wait 2 hours for your 2 – 3 hotcakes. Worth it? Not so much.
I’m pretty sure hikes that you can achieve in the area surrounding Mount Tam are the reasons people in the Bay Area rave about the outdoor culture. There’s virtually endless possibilities here and whether it’s a day hike or an overnight camping trip, this mountain is tops.

Great place to stop during your Mount Tam hike. The place is very rustic and contains a lot of history back during the railroad days. We stopped here to eat our packed lunch and bought some bottled water at the place. The views are amazing and the people that hang out there are very nice.
There are cabins up here where you can stay overnight; I haven’t tried them, but they look pretty primitive and you can be really roughing it.
Overall, nice place to stop by and relax; high recommend the place!

This is truly a hidden gem! I grew up in the Bay Area and am a pretty avid recreational hiker (both on the Peninsula and Marin) but had no idea you could spend the evening ON Mt. Tam!
The company I work for recently hosted a retreat here and while I was initially a little skeptical (no electricity?!) this place exceeded all expectations. The inn-​keeper was exceptionally nice and relaxed (he explained the rules but was otherwise very low-​key) and the location and views of West Point Inn simply can’t be beat. Everywhere you turn (on the porch, from the cabins) you have near 360 degree views of the Bay… you can see the ocean to the West, a full view of San Francisco lights and the East /​North Bay. It didn’t know these views existed!
The Inn itself is rustic but comfortable. The main building is lit with gas lights and has a full kitchen that’s fully stocked with basics and pots /​pans (though you have to bring your own food). We were able to prepare a delicious 3 course meal for our group of 30 or so without any issue.
There are two main lounges, both comfortably furnished and with warm roaring fires at night. Upstairs in the main lodge, there are probably 8 – 10 rooms (ranging from single rooms with 1 twin bed to doubles) and there are additional cabins (with room for 3 – 4 each) a short walk away. There are also full bathrooms (with running water) both in the cabins and in the lodge… so it’s hardly really roughing it. If you’re coming during the Fall /​Winter (when it’s colder) keep in mind that the main lodge is warmer (because of the fireplaces downstairs) while the cabins are heat-​less.
Some other logistics to keep in mind:
— You can reserve far in advance (3 months for non-​members) and should probably do so if you’re planning to come on a summer weekend. I can imagine this place being pretty popular
— The lodge isn’t accessible by car (there’s a fire road but I don’t think most folks are allowed to drive in), so pack lightly! The hike is about 1 hour and moderately uphill (on the way in)
— You need to bring your own food (for dinner) and basic bedding. The rooms have quilts and pillows but no sheets… most folks seem to bring a sleeping bag and pillowcase (plus towels).
— Bring a flashlight! There’s no electricity and while there are gas lights in the main lodge, there aren’t any in the cabins

a client of mine suggested this place as a quick, local getaway when i mentioned that i was craving the outdoors but couldn’t take more than a day off from work. it was perfect.
i did a little research and decided to book their «honeymoon cabin» since it was one of two cabins that had a bathroom (the other cabins share an outside bathroom). but it turned out we were the only ones there that night since they decided to close for renovations after we made the reservation — so we were given the choice of any cabin we wanted. it turns out that the cabins (2, 3 and 4) that share a bathroom have the best view from their porches. so we switched and stayed in cabin #4.
definitely remember to bring a flashlight because there are no lights in the cabins (the inn does have lights that run on propane but the cabins do not). the kitchen there is well-​stocked with essentials for cooking so pack some good, hearty food! we decided to bring lots of fresh veggies and fruits but wished we had brought a nice steak and bottle of wine to enjoy once we were up there.
there are a few options for places to park — we started at mountain home and the hike there and back was short but lovely. in the morning we hiked the trails around the inn too before heading back. a one night’s stay at the west point inn was indeed the perfect little getaway and exactly what i needed (thanks, deidre!!).

The «pancake hike» at Mt. Tamalpais is a fun novelty if you can hit it on a sunny day without any crowds. After a leisure hike, you can sit on a shaded porch surveying the vista while throwing down pancakes and debate if that’s Mt. Diablo in the far distance. Ain’t life great?
It was about a 30 minute hike up from The Mountain Home Retreat on Panoramic Hwy. I wouldn’t suggest you do this hike in flip flops. You can also bike up. I ordered and had the pancakes brought to my table all within 10 minutes. Expect longer waits during peak days like Mother’s or Father’s Day.
The down side is… the pancakes aren’t all that. For $ 10 you get 3 plain pancakes and 2 sausages. I think veggie and kids is $ 5. $ 1 for a slice of cantaloupe and $ 1 for juice in a small cup. I guess the money goes towards running the place, since the West Point Inn is staffed by volunteers. Some variety with strawberries and blueberries or nuts with the pancakes would be good and ice cold water after the hike would be appreciated.
Built in 1904, the inn used to be a former railroad restaurant stopover. The railroad was terminated in 1930. However, you can still spend the night there. Accommodations are «rustic». Heat and light are generated by propane.
Here’s the 2009 breakfast schedule:
9am — 1pm
April 12
May 10
June 21
July 12
August 9
September 6
Call ahead because high winds may close it down.

I first hear about the West Point Inn when a friend suggested we hike up here for the Father’s Day pancake breakfast.
A couple of times a year, different local groups host a pancake breakfast at the West Point Inn as a fundraiser. I can only assume something to do with kids during Father’s Day since there were kids working the pancake assembly line and busing tables. So from 9 AM to 1 PM you can show up here and for $ 10 (cash) you can get 2 huge pancakes, 2 sausages, and coffee ($ 1 extra for a small cup of OJ or melon slice — veggie options also available). This is a fundraising event so don’t be expecting gourmet food. I definitely wasn’t impressed with that aspect. Not even real maple syrup! Good thing I don’t mind eating refined flour and corn syrup — and lots of it — for lunch.
However, there aren’t many places where you can take a breathtaking 45 minute hike and have hot food waiting for you in the middle of the wilderness.
You can read all about how to get here from the website. We rode our bikes up the fire road from Mill Valley. Hard work. Probably about an hour on my club racer/​cross bike to cover the 5 miles up rocky dirt roads. As you go uphill you slowly clear the fog. By the time you get to the top it’s clear and sunny and you can see the Bay Area covered in fog below you. SF is non-​existent; only Sutro Tower is visible.
Well worth the hike/​ride up. I’m thinking of coming back here to stay at the inn. A cabin in the woods 45 minutes away from any roads? I’m not sure if it could get better than that.