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West Point Inn is a popular spot on the south side of Mt. Tamalpais.

Continuing straight on the Rock Spring Trail, you walk on the edge of a steep drop-off, left, high above Old Stage Road. After crossing Rattlesnake Creek on rocks, you follow the trail as it bends left and begins a gentle, then moderate, ascent. (Rattlesnakes are found on Mt. Tamalpais and have been seen in this area.)

The route traverses an outcrop of gray-green serpentine, then passes a seasonal creek, bends left, and enters a wooded area. Just as you emerge from the trees, you may notice a rock bearing a plaque with the inscription: TO JOHN M. COLIER, A LOVER OF NATURE. Colier, an eccentric Scot and one of the early Mt. Tam trail builders, has two features on the mountain’s north side named for him, a spring and a trail.

The trail descends, crosses more seasonal creeks, and then climbs past a rest bench to a fork. Here the Rock Spring Trail goes right, but you continue straight, passing two water fountains, left, at the edge of the Mountain Theater.