Шандакен тарихы және географиясы

The town was first settled around the time of the American Revolution. Shandaken was established as a town in 1804 from part of the Town of Woodstock. In 1809, the town was increased by territory from the Town of Neversink (in Sullivan County). Later, some of Shandaken was used to help form the Towns of Denning, Hardenburgh, and Olive. By the final years of the 19th Century, Shandaken had developed the tourist industry which is still the most important part of its economy. An alternate translation of the native word "shandaken" is the "place of the hemlocks." The Mount Tremper Fire Observation Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 119.8 square miles (310 km2), of which 119.8 square miles (310 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0 km2) is water. The total area is 0.02% water. The town is inside the Catskill Park, and is entirely mountainous. Within it lies Slide Mountain, the Catskill Mountains' highest peak at 1274.06 m, and several of the other Catskill High Peaks over 1066.80 m in elevation. The northern town line is the border of Greene County, and the western town boundary is the border of Delaware County. The Esopus Creek flows across the town.

The town paramedic ambulance service is also provided to residents of the towns of Olive, Lexington, and Westkill. The town also has a police department located at 64 SR 42 in the hamlet of Shandaken; it was originally established as a constabulary, and became a police department in the early 1990s. The police department consists of four full time and nine part time members, and is dispatched by through the Ulster County sheriff's office. The sheriff's office has a post located within the town offices located on Route 28, which is not staffed continuously. There are two emergency call boxes located in the town, one on the north facing side of the town hall (SR 28) and the other on the south facing side of the town police department (located on SR 42)

The Shandaken Justice Court is a part time court, housed within the town offices on SR 28; it handles all traffic violations, misdemeanor criminal cases, and civil cases. Traffic court is held every Tuesday with few exceptions.

Allaben – a hamlet east of Shandaken village on Route 28. It is the seat of town government. Beechford – a hamlet in the southeastern corner of the town. Big Indian – a hamlet southwest of Shandaken village on Route 28 in the Big Indian Valley. Bushnellsville – a hamlet by the northern town line on Route 42. Chichester – a hamlet in the eastern part of the town, north of Phoenicia on Route 214. Its roots lay in the manufacture of furniture until the Depression destroyed the business. It was founded in 1863. Highmount – a location northwest of Pine Hill. It was originally called "Summit". It was also known as "Grand Hotel Station". Mt. Pleasant – a hamlet in the eastern part of the town on Route 28 south of Phoenicia. This community was previously called "Longyear" and "Riseley's". Mt. Tremper – a hamlet near the eastern town line. It was previously called "Ladew Corners" and "The Corner". The Camp Wapanachki was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Phoenicia – a hamlet in the eastern part of the town. It was the first community to be connected to the outside world by a railroad (the Ulster and Delaware Railroad) and the first to begin hotel construction for the tourist industry. Pine Hill – a hamlet in the western part of the town. Shandaken – the hamlet of Shandaken is in the north central part of the town on Route 28. Slide Mountain – Slide Mountain is the highest point in the Catskill Mountains. Woodland Valley – a hamlet in the southeastern part of the town, south of Phoenicia. It is still home to the Roxmor Colony.