Released from prison where he served seven years for armed robbery, Keenan Deerfield (Lou Diamond Phillips) arrives in an 1850s mining town asking for nothing more than the means to make an honest living. Although his arrival is met with scrutiny and hostility, Keenan insists on staying - and soon learns that the locals are virtual slaves of the corrupt mine owner and his son.
Under the watchful eye of the town's sole lawman (Lee Majors) and with the support of a sympathetic landowner (Ernest Borgnine), Keenan toils in the mines and tills the fields where he intends to put down roots. The ex-con even manages to steer clear of trouble until a battered woman (Marina Black) asks for his protection, unleashing the rage of a drunken miner who would sooner see Keenan dead.
Forced to fight for his future, Keenan learns that too few stand on the right side of the law on "The Trail to Hope Rose."
