| Desert Spring | |
| Settlement Type: | Former settlement |
| Pushpin Map: | California#USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in California |
| Pushpin Image: | California Locator Map with US.PNG |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | California |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Kern County |
| Coordinates: | 35.2722°N -118.6261°W |
Desert Spring is a former settlement in Kern County, California in the Fremont Valley, south of Red Rock Canyon State Park. It was located 1.5miles northeast of Cantil.
The place, with natural springs, was important as a source of freshwater to the Native Americans, explorers, prospectors, and others in the Mojave Desert. Visitors included Joseph R. Walker in 1834, John C. Fremont in 1844, and migrants entering California in 1850 who had used the El Paso Range route. Later in the 19th century the water source was used by "ore freighters and prospectors".
The site is now registered as California Historical Landmark #476.
California Historical Landmark reads:
NO. 476 DESERT SPRING - This spring was on an old Indian horse thief trail and later (1834) Joe Walker Trail. The famished Manly-Jayhawk Death Valley parties (1849-50) were revived here after coming from Indian Wells through Last Chance Canyon. This was also a station on the Nadeau Borax Freight Road.[1] [2]