John Cannon's family arrives at a ranch near Tuscon, Ariz. His wife names it High Chaparral. They learn they have two enemies. He hires ranch hands, recovers his cattle, but loses his wife to an Apache arrow.
John and Buck go south to strike a deal with Montoya. They encounter the man who stole John's horse and says he can take them to Montoya. He turns out to be Montoya's delinquent son and John gets his deal along with a new bride to seal it.
Victoria is over shadowed by the memory of Annalee. The rigid Big John refuses to let her make changes as he still feels their marriage is an arrangement with her father. A confrontation with Apaches and Victoria's old beau force a change.
Buck unknowingly hires a group of Army deserters at the same time an Army patrol stops at High Chaparral documenting fights with the Apaches. When a troop takes high level Apache hostages, Cochise attacks returning the favor.
Blue needs new boots and the ranch needs supplies but cash is limited. Big John agrees to let Blue join Buck on a trip to town for supplies along with Manolito. However, the three lose their guns and the money on poker, drink, and women.
Big John needs cattle to stock his ranch. He plans to send Buck to see Montoya to buy the stock but Buck breaks his leg racing the boys. Big John is persuaded to send Manolito and Blue in his place but their childish actions have a cost.
John needs cattle. He offers to buy cattle from area ranchers but learns they are being force to sell to Dolph Tanner at a lower price. The Cannons are forced to fight Tanner as John accepts Victoria and Blue in their proper roles.
Buck accompanies Victoria and Manolito to visit their dad. When they arrive they find his ranch has been taken over by ex-Confederate soldiers planning to take over the area. The leader was Buck's superior during the war.
A dentist rescues Blue from Apaches and bandits. With no money to be made at the ranch, he decides to go after the bandits who have a $1000 bounty on them. When the bandits kidnap him and Blue, he tries to take advantage of it.
A greenhorn bank clerk and his wife arrive from St. Joseph, Missouri woefully unprepared to work the run down ranch they bought next to the High Chaparral. Complicating the situation is Buck falling in love with the beautiful wife.
Blue kills a soldier attacking an Indian girl and takes the body to the fort only to learn he is the son of a general who wants justice for his dead son. Big John tries to defend his son in the court martial but he is out of his element.
A friend of Buck is found nearly dead. He recovers at the ranch but is wanted so John wants him off the ranch. Conviently, the widow of the previous High Chaparral owner wants it back so she hires him to drive the Cannons off the ranch.
The widow of the owner of a neighboring ranch returns to take over the ranch after Comancheros attacked wanting money from her crooked husband. She continues the deal with them while asking Buck to be her foreman and marry her.
A Marshall asks Big John to help form a posse to join him on the trail of the Mexican bandit El Lobo who has been terrorizing the US. Big John and Buck know he is hiding on Montoya land which means trouble due to the pact with Montoya.
Manolito helps a friend escape jail and death in Mexico. Manolito brings the man and his sister to High Chaparral to rest not realizing his friend plans to kill the Mexican revolutionary Juarez during a visit to High Chaparral.
El Caudillo's girlfriend Conchita lures the hands from High Chaparral into Mexico where they are taken prisoner. El Caudillo wants to start his own revolution by executing the men including Manolito's father who tries to rescue them.
Blue and Manolito witness two Apaches fatally wound a third one. Before he dies, he tells them a Medicine Man will visiting the High Chaparral. Soldado hopes to assassinate the Medicine Man at the ranch putting everyone there in danger.
Blue and Big John are stranded in the desert by Apaches with no horses and water to see if they can survive like the Apaches. They capture an Apache wounded by Blue who they think may lead them to water when he becomes thirsty.
When three men believe they have found gold on the High Chaparral, Big John orders the area destroyed. The three men decide to fight back putting the Cannons in danger and cause Buck to have conflicted feelings about Victoria.
John's first wife's stepbrother appears at the ranch wounded looking for his sister. He recovers as two bounty hunters arrive in Tucson looking for him. He is wanted for murder and no one including family will stand in his way.
Blue has his eye on a $300 silver saddle but only $18. He and the men decide they can win the money at the Fourth of July rodeo. When only John wins at the rodeo, it is left to Blue filling in at a prize fight for the boxer he hurt.
Buck and Manolito come upon two white girls being chased by Apaches. They are able to save the older girl but her sister is retaken by the Apaches. Buck promises they will attempt to save her sister but everyone knows it is not feasible.
Buck finds two wandering Apache boys chasing a steer. He gets Big John's approval to train them as cowhands. Skeptical locals assume they killed a rancher. After some hands are killed, the missing boys are assumed to be involved.
Blue finds the wounded bandit El Tigre. At the ranch they tend to his wounds and as he heals he projects the persona of a man trying to do good for his people. During a gun battle to free him, Victoria learns the truth about him.
Angry at being treated like a kid, Blue leaves. He finds a job scouting for a man and adopted Apache daughter who are there on government orders to make peace with Cochise. Blue falls for the girl but Cochise has other ideas about peace.
A local mining company owner is paying bounty for Apache scalps. The hunters are working on High Chaparral range infuriating Big John. He does allow the wounded son of one to stay which leads to a confrontation between father and son.
A priest, two nuns, and a young woman find Manolito who was bitten by a rattlesnake. They are hoping to build a convent on the ranch. Manolito falls in love with the woman but there is another man pursing her. However, she has other plans.
Victoria is kidnapped by a foe of Big John's from the war wanting revenge for his lost hand and respect. Big John trails them into the mountains where he is captured, wore out due to deprivation and forced to re-stage the war with his foe.
