Wild America is an outdoor action and adventure film based on the real life experiences of documentarian Mark Stouffer and his two younger brothers. The story takes place in 1967 when they lived on a farm in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, with their mother (Frances Fisher) and father (Jamey Sheridan).
Twelve-year-old Marshall (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) recalls the moment when his older brother Marty (Scott Bairstow) came up with the idea of taking his 16mm camera to photograph America's wildlife. With the blessing of their mother and the reluctant approval of their father, the two older boys hit the open road. Not willing to miss any of the fun, Marshall secretly joins them.
In their first adventure, they film a wolf and a herd of wild horses. Mark (Devon Sawa) has a close encounter with an alligator in a swamp. Marshall has an uplifting experience with an angry moose. However, the most astonishing moment for the Stouffer boys is when they film some hibernating grizzly bears in a cave. Wild America has all the spunk and the humor of the old Hardy boys adventure stories.