FrontierWorld follows Tommy Ray and Willie Parker and a half dozen other characters as they meet in Seattle to begin their wagon train adventure. Once they arrive at the wagon camp, the group meets Brad Jefferson, the young wagon master who will lead the neo-pioneers through their 14-day journey. Jefferson gives the group strict instructions that everything from the 21st century must stay at the base camp. From this point on, everything will be just as it was in the early 1800s.

Julia Hopper had a host of personal reasons for joining the wagon train vacation but, somehow, the very idea of giving up her contact lenses was unacceptable. Just one day into the journey, Julia loses her precious lenses and is forced to deal with life on a primitive wagon train without clear vision.

Jack Bramson is another character who needed a fresh start in life. As a middle aged investment banker, Jack was bored with his life. He describes his daily routine as a scene from the movie Groundhog Day.

Charlie Caruthers came to the wagon train vacation after 30 years as a steward in the United States Navy. As the only African-American on the vacation, Charlie becomes an interesting figure as the story develops.

Jimmy Three-Bears Donovan is a young man who has never spent time in the great outdoors. Jimmy is caught between his Native American roots, his Harvard education, and the Irish Catholic parents who adopted him as an infant. The wagon train vacation was a gift from his dad and was intended to give Jimmy a better view of his roots.

Emma Braunstien is a behavioral scientist with the world famous Global Center for the Study of Human Behavior. To elevate her work to the highest level, she devised an experiment that places ordinary people into stressful situations. Of course, a wagon train in the Canadian wilderness is the perfect setting for Emma's experiment.