Jump the Snake
Twin Falls, Idaho • Independent fan tracker

Jump the Snake

In 1974 Evel Knievel tried to rocket across Idaho's Snake River Canyon and didn't make it. In October 2026, Elon Musk floated sending the new Tesla Roadster over the same canyon. We're tracking every real update, with sources, and nothing made up.

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01Jump status

Last checked: Oct 21, 2026. We only flip a box when there's an official announcement or solid reporting.

Status: Not yet scheduled
Date TBA

No date, launch site or official confirmation has been announced. The countdown starts the moment there's a real date.

The checklist

  • ✓Idea floated publicly at the Roadster unveiling (Oct 15, 2026)
  • ✓Musk follows up on X about flying over the Snake River (or maybe the Grand Canyon)
  • –Official confirmation from Tesla
  • –Date announced
  • –Launch site / landowner announced
  • –Public viewing info released
  • –Roadster in production (targeted for 2028)

02Latest news

Dated, sourced, newest first. If we can't link a source, it doesn't go here.

  • Musk posts about flying a Roadster over the Snake River, "or maybe the Grand Canyon"

    Musk posted on X that future Roadster demos could include flying over Idaho's Snake River, or maybe the Grand Canyon, and landing on its wheels while "exceeding half the speed of sound." The post names no date, launch site or landowner. Backfire News notes half the speed of sound is roughly 380 mph, well above the 230+ mph Tesla quotes for some versions.

    Source: Backfire News

  • CarBuzz: the Roadster "could attempt the jump that even Evel Knievel failed"

    CarBuzz reports Musk wasn't sure the car could make the jump and suggested it may need a longer run-up than Knievel's short dirt ramp, which is still there. It also notes Eddie Braun completed the jump in 2016 with a steam rocket called the Evel Spirit.

    Source: CarBuzz

  • Roadster unveiled in Texas; Musk floats a Snake River Canyon attempt

    At the unveiling at SpaceX's McGregor, Texas test site, Musk raised Knievel's 1974 attempt and the stage response was "let's give it another shot." He suggested the canyon attempt might need something close to Mach 0.5. No date or specific plans were announced, and Tesla hasn't confirmed it will happen.

    Source: Drive Tesla

Front entrance of the historic Gooding University Inn Featured stay • Sponsored Gooding University Inn Stay in the historic 1920 Gooding College building, about 35 minutes from the canyon. Book a room

031974 vs. 2026

Same canyon, 52 years apart. Here's how the two machines compare, using only what's been reported.

1974

Evel Knievel & the Skycycle X-2

  • DateSeptember 8, 1974, near Twin Falls
  • MachineSteam-powered rocket, the Skycycle X-2
  • The gapRoughly 1,600 feet across a canyon up to about 500 feet deep
  • LaunchA short earthen ramp on the south rim, east of the Perrine Bridge. It's still visible today.
  • ResultThe parachute deployed early and he drifted down into the canyon. He survived with minor injuries.
2026

The Tesla Roadster (proposed)

  • DateNone announced
  • MachineRoadster with cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX, shown leaving a ramp and flipping in Texas
  • Speed neededAbout Mach 0.5, roughly 380 mph, versus a quoted 230+ mph for the Rocket configuration
  • LaunchNo site announced. Musk suggested it may need a longer run-up than Knievel's ramp.
  • ProductionTargeted for 2028

It's been done once

Hollywood stuntman Eddie Braun completed the jump in 2016 in a steam-powered rocket called the Evel Spirit (CarBuzz).

Sources: CarBuzz, Drive Tesla, Backfire News, Visit Southern Idaho. Speed and thruster figures are Tesla's claims and haven't been independently tested.

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04Where to watch in Twin Falls

No official viewing area exists yet, and nobody knows where a Roadster would launch. These are real public spots with canyon views today, and the best places to see Knievel's ramp.

A

Twin Falls Visitor Center

2015 Neilsen Point Place, at the base of the I.B. Perrine Bridge. Its floor-to-ceiling windows look out on the canyon, the 486-foot-tall bridge and the historic Knievel jump site. It also rents bikes for the rim trail.

B

Perrine Bridge & Canyon Rim Trail

A fully paved rim trail of about 6.5 miles, with access at the Visitor Center, Shoshone Falls Park and Poleline/Eastland Road. You can ride under the bridge and often catch BASE jumpers on the east side.

C

Evel Knievel jump site (view only)

The 1974 earthen ramp sits on the south rim a few miles east of the Visitor Center. The ramp itself is on private property. View it from the Visitor Center, or from within about 100 yards at the top of the Centennial Trail.

D

Shoshone Falls Park & Centennial Trail

The paved Centennial Trail runs about 1.8 miles from Shoshone Falls toward the jump site, with some steep inclines. Shoshone Falls is also on the rim trail.

Heads up: if a jump is ever scheduled, organizers and local authorities will decide where people can stand. Please don't trespass on private land along the rim. We'll update this guide as soon as there's official viewing info.

Sources: Twin Falls Visitor Center, Canyon Rim Trails, Guided Canyon Rim Trail, Evel Knievel Jump Site (Visit Southern Idaho).

Stay near the jump

Stone entrance and brick facade of the Gooding University Inn, the former Gooding College Built 1920
Featured stay • Sponsored

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Sleep inside the historic Gooding College building. It's rustic, roomy and one of a kind, and about a 35-minute drive from the Perrine Bridge and the canyon rim.

  • Single rooms$75–$95 a night
  • Big group?The West Wing sleeps about 60 in beds
  • InsideTheater room, ballroom, game room, fire pit
  • Where301 University Ave, Gooding, Idaho • ~31 mi to Twin Falls
Book at goodinginn.com Call (208) 283-1650

Sponsored listing. The Gooding University Inn is owned by the publisher of this site. Rates and details from goodinginn.com; call to confirm.

05Sponsors

Reach the people following the jump, from Twin Falls locals to daredevil fans around the world.

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