Shandaken, whose name is of Native American origin and is said to mean land of rapid waters, is located in the northwest corner of Ulster County, 25 miles northwest of the City of Kingston.

Bounded on the North by Town of Middletown, Delaware County; East by Town of Hunter, Greene County and Town of Woodstock, Ulster County; South by Towns of Olive and Denning, Ulster County; and West by Town of Hardenburgh, Ulster County.

Located along the Route 28 corridor within the Catskill State Park, the mountainous townlands are over two-thirds state-owned and include Slide Mountain, the highest peak in the Catskill range, at 4,220 feet.

The town was originally settled around the Revolutionary War period and was formally established on April 9, 1804, when Governor George Clinton signed chapter 80 of the laws of 1804.