Twelve years after graduating from high school, three friends—Jerry, Dan, and Tom—learn that their childhood companion Billy has died in a
parasailing accident. After the funeral, they return to their old tree house and discover a map leading to the lost treasure of
D. B. Cooper, which Billy had spent much of his life researching. Deciding to follow Billy's quest, Dan, a
doctor, takes leave from work and joins Jerry and Tom on a canoe trip to search for the treasure. While camping along the river, the group realizes they forgot food. Tom attempts to catch fish using a flashlight, attracting a
grizzly bear that chases them into a tree. The following morning, they find their gear destroyed. Unable to navigate with the damaged map, they miss a river split and accidentally go over a waterfall, destroying their canoe but surviving. As they head through the forest, they stumble upon a
marijuana farm run by rednecks Dennis and Elwood. Mistaken for thieves, the trio is shot at and flees, inadvertently setting fire to the crop with flares. Enraged, the farmers vow to hunt them down. Deep in the woods, after further pursuit, the friends encounter hippie women Flower and Butterfly, who shelter them in their treehouse. When the farmers arrive, the women drive them off by dropping bags of feces. The trio later takes refuge with a mountain hermit, who provides them clothing and reveals himself as Del Knox, Cooper's former partner. When the farmers attack again, Del buys the friends time by holding them off with dual revolvers. Continuing on, the trio discovers the site of Cooper's crash and finds his skeleton in a cave, along with the empty suitcase used to hold the ransom. They realize Cooper burned the money to stay alive. As Dan crawls through a tunnel seeking an exit, the farmers capture Tom and Jerry. Sheriff Briggs, who had earlier aided the group, appears but reveals himself to be in league with the farmers. Jerry manages to use a grenade taken from Dennis, toppling a tree that traps the sheriff and the rednecks, who are then arrested. In the aftermath, Del gives the friends $100,000 of the surviving money. Jerry and Dan allow Tom to keep it, believing he needs it most. Jerry proposes to his girlfriend Denise, Dan begins a relationship with Flower, and Tom becomes a summer camp counsellor, entertaining children with an embellished version of their adventure. Meanwhile, Del departs to give Cooper a proper burial. ==Cast==