The station, situated 52 miles 17 chains (84 km) north-west of Leeds, serves the area of Ribblehead in North Yorkshire, England.

The station is located at the southern end of the Ribblehead Viaduct, which spans a length of 400 metres (1,300 ft) over Batty Moss.

In previous years, Ribblehead served as a meteorological station, with the stationmaster transmitting coded reports to the Air Ministry.

[5] There are resident caretakers, holiday accommodation, a small shop selling memorabilia, and its visitor centre includes exhibits about the history of the line and the fight to keep it open.

The platforms both have level access, but the northbound one is linked to the rest of the station by a barrow crossing and is not recommended for use for disabled passengers without assistance.

Train operator Northern has installed both customer information screens and a public address system as part of a rolling station upgrade programme across its network.

A replacement two return-trip Saturday service to/from Rochdale via Manchester Victoria and Blackburn commenced on 8 June 2024, marketed as the "Yorkshire Dales Explorer".

[9] Between February 2016 and March 2017 northbound trains terminated at Appleby or Armathwaite (with a bus link to Carlisle) due to repair works on the damaged embankment at Eden Brows.