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Have the colors peaked? Should I leave today or wait another week? Will the leaves make it through another rain?

Each October, the staff at Babcock State Park is flooded with calls from people asking such questions about the foliage situation near the park’s oft-photographed Glade Creek Grist Mill.

“On Bridge Day weekend, people are lined up from the parking lot on this side of Glade Creek to a point far down the road that goes behind the mill,” said Clinton Cochran, the superintendent at Babcock. “I’ve seen six tripods and cameras at a time lined up on the road behind the mill, and people shooting from every angle imaginable on this side of the creek, including from the top of a trash can.”

While autumn is the peak season for shooting the mill and its scenic surroundings, photographers call at all times of the year to check conditions before grabbing cameras and equipment and making the trip to Fayette County. 

Callers have been known to seek such detailed information as the coloration of individual trees in the vicinity of the mill, and the time of day direct sunlight reaches it.

“The ladies in the office take a lot of calls from people wanting to take pictures, but not wanting to drive here if the conditions aren’t right,” said Cochran. “We all look out the window and tell them the best we can, but a good windstorm or rain can change everything in a matter of minutes.”

For the upcoming fall foliage season, Cochran may have come up with a solution that accommodates the high interest in photographing the mill while easing the difficulty in describing leaf colors and lighting over the phone. A webcam is now in operation, giving minute-by-minute views of the gristmill, Glade Creek, and the surrounding forest.