A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

Thirteen-year-old Sam Gribley, whose hero is Henry David Thoreau, packs up and leaves home for the challenge of wilderness living. He feeds himself, builds a makeshift home, and learns to live in harmony with nature.