We arrived at 9:30am on a Wednesday and there was plenty of parking at both Sunrise Point and the Visitor Center. We finished the hike at about 12:30pm and the parking lot at the Visitor Center was a lot busier but not full.
This is a beautiful hike, and the trail is in great shape. We encountered some loose rocks here and there along the ridge and in the final push to the summit, but easy enough to manage in sturdy sneakers. It was dry and dusty from start to finish, though -- we were all pretty dirty at the end. And aside from a few small patches of shade in the trees along the ridge, the entire trail is exposed. We hiked on a very warm day and the elevation wasn't much relief from the heat. We were glad we brought lots of water and planned well for sun protection.
We did this hike with our kids, ages 3.5 and almost 8. The big kid did great; this hike was no problem for him. Our 3-year-old hikes a fair amount and this outing pushed the boundaries of his ability and stamina -- there was some whining and flopping, especially on the way back (heat and dust were contributing factors). He did the whole thing on his own, though, and in the end we were all glad we made the effort.
Wildflowers: we saw a lot of lupine, phlox, and aster, a little paintbrush, and TONS of Western Anemone with their shaggy seed heads (especially in the meadows above the Sunrise ranger station and lodge).
Wildlife: we saw ground squirrels along the trail, marmots on the snow patches down the north side of Sourdough Ridge, and a mountain goat (!) climbing on a rock face just west of Antler Peak - thank you to the ranger who stopped us to point out the goat! We also spotted some deer or elk hoof prints and scat along the Sourdough Ridge portion of the trail.
Bugs: The bugs were out in force -- lots of mosquitoes closer to the parking lot, biting flies all along the trail, and biting flies and bees at the summit. We used a DEET spray and were glad we did.
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