11-year-old Boy Scout Thad Kenton can't wait to get to Falling Rock Boy Scout camp. The buses stop for a lunch break at a rest stop, and Thad is accidentally left behind. He doesn't want to call his parents to come and get him, so he makes the unwise decision to walk to the camp. Thad mistakenly believes he can walk 175 miles by nightfall. He quickly finds out how wrong he is. It takes him nearly two weeks to travel to the camp, and each day is a different adventure. He meets some scary people on the way and a few nice ones. By the end of his journey, Thad finds out how strong he really is and what is really important in life.