The Roanoke Times | File 2009

The view from the 100-foot Big Walker Lookout tower, between Wytheville and Bland counties. Depending on weather and visibility, visitors to the site can see four states.

The Roanoke Times | File 2001

Maple trees show off their fall colors near an old farm house in Highland County.

The Roanoke Times | File 1990

Peaks of Otter Lodge (at left) is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Bedford County.

The Roanoke Times | File 1999

This swinging bridge crosses the James River in Buchanan.

The Roanoke Times | File 2006

A view of North Mountain from U.S. 311 near New Castle.

Fall is just around the corner, and that means the fiery foliage that so defines our part of the world soon will follow.

But did summer's heat burn up our chances for a bright, beautiful autumn?

Not to worry, says John Seiler, a tree physiologist specialist in Virginia Tech's Department of Forestry.

Regardless of the weather, fall color in Southwest Virginia "is always pretty good," he said. "Weather conditions do affect the peak time for color -- it could be a week or 10 days earlier, or a week or 10 days later, but it's gonna look pretty good."

Peak leaf-peeping is usually between Oct. 16-30. This year's dry weather might make leaves drop early, closer to the 16th. Seiler said he has already seen some red maples shedding their leaves.

Here are five foliage drives you might want to take to soak in all of fall's glory.

The Virginia Department of Forestry will begin running its weekly fall foliage update at the end of September. The site lists the peak weeks for color and scenic drives for leaf-peepers.

You can find it here, at www.dof.virginia.gov/fall/index.htm

Virginia 42
Counties: Craig, Giles, Bland, Smyth

This route, which cuts through mountain valleys and winds along creek banks and National Forest land, is one of the most popular scenic routes in Southwest Virginia.

The New Castle-to-Newport leg cuts through the Sinking Creek Valley, hugged by mountains the whole way. Country stores carry locally grown produce, and restaurants that include the New Castle Grill and Pine Top Restaurant offer stick-to-the-ribs home cooking.

Virginia 42 vanishes from the map for a few miles in Giles County, although you can stitch together a route from the secondary roads, cross the New River at Eggleston (and maybe have dinner at the Palisades Restaurant) and pick up 42 again just off Virginia 100 near White Gate.

Hearty travelers can keep rolling to Saltville, where you can see woolly mammoth bones and arrowheads at the Museum of the Middle Appalachians.

Virginia 43 Counties: Bedford, Botetourt (extends Southeast into Campbell and Pittsylvania)

If you start your drive in Bedford, there's plenty to do, from visiting the National D-Day Memorial to having lunch at the newly reopened Olde Liberty Station. On the way to the Peaks of Otter, you can pick your own apples at Gross' Orchard.

After crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway and then the James River at Buchanan, wind your way along narrow roads beside the river and through the Jefferson National Forest. You're not far from Botetourt County wineries, which include Blue Ridge Vineyard at Eagle Rock, but be sure to have a designated driver to negotiate all those twists and turns on your way home!

Virginia 311
Counties: Roanoke, Craig, Monroe (W.Va.), Alleghany

This long, languid stretch of road rises high over Catawba Mountain toward New Castle, then flows into the village of Paint Bank near the West Virginia border. Opportunities to get out of the car are numerous -- the Appalachian Trail crosses 311 and offers a popular hike to McAfee Knob, often described as the most scenic spot on the trail.

Dining options are surprisingly good along this country road. The Homeplace in Catawba affords a glorious repast of chicken, roast beef, ham and veggies for the hungry hiker, and the Swinging Bridge Restaurant (whose website directions for tiny Paint Bank read: "Follow Rte. 311 to Paint Bank. The Swinging Bridge Restaurant is located on the left.") boasts home cooking so good, "you'll slap your mama."

Keep going into West Virginia past Sweet Springs and back into Alleghany County, where the road winds through creek valleys and national forest land. If The Greenbrier resort is your weekend destination, 311 is a meandering road-less-traveled way to get near there.

Virginia 39/U.S. 220
Counties: Rockbridge, Bath, Highland

You simply can't take a wrong road in any of these counties. Well, you could, and you would probably get lost for days, but the scenery would be terrific!

Goshen Pass Natural Area Preserve, about 10 miles north of Lexington on 39, is the oldest state-managed recreation area in Virginia. The historic, metal-truss Goshen Bridge spans the Calfpasture River. National forest land and wildlife management areas lie in every direction.

By the time you get to Warm Springs, you can head north or south along U.S. 220, or take a relaxing dip in the Jefferson Pools, where Thomas Jefferson actually took a soak in 1818.

After your side trip to the spa, we suggest heading north on 220 into splendiferous Highland County, where the maples explode with fall yellows and reds. The county seat of Monterey does a decent tourist trade in the fall, which means the few B&Bs fill up quickly.

If you want to avoid backtracking your way home, you can always take U.S. 250 over the mountains to Staunton, but who wants to drive Interstate 81 on a beautiful fall weekend?

U.S. 52
Counties: Wythe, Bland (continues south into Carroll)

The Big Walker Scenic Byway traverses 16.2 miles of gorgeous mountain land between Wytheville and Bland. Near the county line, at an elevation of 3,405 feet, a 100-foot steel tower called Big Walker Lookout affords views of four other states on clear days.

The lookout has been drawing visitors for more than 60 years and it is still operated by the Kime family. Decades ago, the route offered several roadside attractions, which included a Wild West town, a snake pit and a chairlift.

Now, there's just a tower, a general store that sells gifts and ice cream ... and miles of tree-covered mountains.