The 72 mile (116km) Ribble Way is described in seven stages, ranging from 8.25 to 17 miles (13.3 to 27.4km). The route follows the Ribble valley, from the estuary mouth near Preston to the river's source on Cam Fell in the Yorkshire Dales. The route might not be the most challenging of Long Distance routes, but the contrast through a succession of different landscapes can be immensely satisfying for novice and experienced walkers alike. The guide provides detailed route descriptions, OS mapping and a route summary table, with variants included for day walkers. Information is included on points of interest along the route, plus there's also background information on the landscape, wildlife, and history, and planning details on when to go, where to stay and what to take.

The River Ribble springs from the limestone of the Yorkshire Dales, high on Cam Fell in the heart of Three Peak country. Initially forcing a passage between high, rugged moorland hills, it then breaks free to wind through gentler countryside south of Settle, meandering lazily through alternating pasture and ancient woodland, where old manor houses and early 18th-century village cottages still hold sway against the pervasive tide of modernity. Beyond Preston, the river dramatically changes yet again, trained to run straight to the Irish Sea, but further to the west, a vast expanse of the salt marsh still remains and attracts huge populations of birds, particularly in winter.