Baldwin Lake is a small natural lake — technically a sag pond, where the Raymond Fault has pulled the ground down enough to expose the water table — at the centre of the Arboretum. It is the same source of water that drew the Tongva people, then Lucky Baldwin, then Hollywood film crews. Surrounded by mature trees, with a small fountain and a fringe of bulrush, it is a quiet spot for a picnic.
The Queen Anne Cottage faces the lake from a low ridge on the north side. Visit on a weekday morning before the schoolchildren and the cinephiles arrive.