Quite easy to get to. I drive an Acura RDX and had no problems (I actually had a lot of fun driving the road). 

There were way more flies than we were expecting. Prepare to get swarmed. Luckily just gnats and no mosquitoes from what we experienced.

We applied for a permit on Friday and did not get it by Saturday when we departed. Luckily, no rangers patrolled during our stay.

Some spots with good shade.