[1][2] It is located 10.5 miles (17 km) west-northwest of Elk Creek,[3] at an elevation of 4455 feet (1358 m).

[1] The Oriental post office opened in 1888, changed its name to Alder Springs in 1917, and closed for good in 1940.

[3] Alder Springs is the location of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Valley View Conservation Camp.

[4] The Berkeley Seismology Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley has strong motion sensor for detecting seismic activity here in addition to a short period sensor operated by the California Department of Water Resources.

There is also a nearby National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather station.