As many people have mentioned, the road up here is pretty unpleasant. That said, it's doable in your typical crossover or (ideally AWD) sedan and lots of patience.
I don't know if we lucked out early in the season or what, but we arrived in the mid-afternoon on a Sunday and basically had the whole trail to ourselves after passing several groups who were just wrapping up.
The trail gets a little confusing once you get to the lake. It veers off to the right in a subtle way and goes around the lake to the main viewpoint - GPS highly recommended! From there, still lots of snow covering parts of the trail (and lots of mud), so come prepared with traction.
Even as experienced hikers with Alltrails and spikes, we found the trail in its current state to be a little challenging, but very well worth it. I imagine it becomes a lot easier in a month or so when more of the snow melts.
The views of Rainier, the lake, and the whole surrounding area from the end of the trail are breathtaking.
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