The Next Loop at Pinnacle Mountain

A distinctive endurance format takes over Pinnacle Mountain State Park during The Next Loop, as athletes circle a 3.1-mile trail through wooded hillsides and sandstone bluffs, choosing hourly starts or continuous distances while catching elevated views toward Lake Maumelle along the way.

The choose-your-distance structure makes this an unusually flexible event for families balancing a runner’s goals with everyone else’s plans, since the long event window allows children and support crews to come and go rather than commit to an entire day at the start line waiting for one finish.

Staying near west Little Rock or camping close to the park gives competitors time to prepare and recover, while non-running family members can explore the park’s summit trails and Lake Maumelle access points during the race. Pack plenty of water and sun protection for the exposed bluff sections, and treat the open-ended format as an invitation to build a loose, realistic schedule around a runner’s chosen distance rather than a fixed finish time. A picnic at the summit overlook gives waiting family members their own reward for the day.