This can be a pretty tough trail will all the elevation gain in the first few miles. During wildflower season, the views are totally worth it.
We were getting to the end of the yellow balsamroot flowers which is a good majority of the fields of flowers up there. There were still some purple lupines holding on, and some indian paintbrush starting to bloom. But May is a better time to hit this trail.
Definitely start early to beat the heat. I really recommend taking the shuttle from Skamania. It is easy to park there, and your permit is included when you go during peak season.
We tend to take the "More Difficult" trail up to the viewpoint. It is a little bit shorter, and is usually less populated. On the way back down, we like to take the Augspurger trail. This trail is about a mile longer, but is also less populated with hikers, and it gives you a different view on your way down.
We got on the first shuttle out of Skamania, and started the trail at 8am. We were at the look out by 10am, and back to the shuttle by noon (since we took the longer Augspurger trail back down).
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