[2][better source needed] The name is believed to be from an Esopus phrase for "land of rapid waters.

By the final years of the 19th Century, Shandaken had developed the tourist industry which is still the most important part of its economy.

[5] 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.

34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The police department consists of four full-time and nine part-time members, and is dispatched by through the Ulster County sheriff's office.

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.