for an autumn outing

In Southern California, balmy nights extend from summer into fall. What better way to enjoy the harvest moon than to take a nostalgic hayride through the rustic countryside.

Although hayrides may seem a vestige of a sylvan setting, city dwellers may still delight in the pleasures of an amble-down country road in a hay-filled wagon pulled by a stalwart team of farm horses. Topped off with a picnic or barbecue and a sing-along around the campfire, a hayride party is a perfect way to spend an autumn evening.

Because demand is high in the fall, advance reservations are a must. Most stables will accommodate larger groups by utilizing more than one wagon or by rotating the rides.

Nearly all stables offering hayrides have picnic and barbecue facilities either on their grounds or in nearby parks. Some will cater at additional cost. Others ask that you rustle up your own food.

Several offer live Western music, or you might corral the banjo pickers and guitar pluckers in your organization for campfire-ballad accompaniment.

For other hayride possibilities, contact your local stable or equestrian park.

Calamigos Ranch and Restaurant, 327 S. Latigo Canyon Road, Malibu, (818) 889-9724.

Individuals and groups who dine at this ranch restaurant Friday, Saturday or Sunday evenings may take a free 20-minute hayride on a wagon pulled by two Belgian horses. Rides are scheduled between 5 and 9:30 p.m. If you go before sundown, you will see lakes, trees and rustic scenery on the 80-acre recreational facility. The restaurant features traditional Western cuisine and has a luau every Saturday with Hawaiian cuisine. Meals range from $8.95 to $15.95.

Hansen Dam Stables, 11127 Orcas Ave., Lake View Terrace, (818) 845-2892. Percheron draft horses Felix and Oscar will pull a hay wagon that holds up to 25 people for a 35- to 45-minute ride on Hansen Dam Park bridle paths. Owners Chuck and Bonnie Walls provide the firewood for a post-ride bonfire. Barbecue grills and picnic tables are available in the large grassy area around the stables. Groups can stay until midnight. Six dollars per person, $126 minimum. Reservations required.

Whittier Narrows Equestrian Center, 12191 E. Rooks Road, Whittier, (213) 699-5911.

A group of 20 can relax aboard a flatbed wagon filled with hay and pulled by Dixie and Clyde, a pair of Belgian horses. Leisurely rides along the San Gabriel River to Bicentennial Park and Whittier Narrows Dam are scheduled during the day or early evening hours. After the excursion, riders may return to the stable to prepare a barbecue or picnic around an open campfire. Cost: $75 for groups up to 20.

Larry’s Pony Rides, 7600 Spring St., Long Beach, (213) 865-3290. By appointment only.

Belgian draft horses, which are also used for demonstrations of old-time farming skills, pull hay wagons along the roadways of rustic El Dorado Park in Long Beach. Owner Larry Nelson says he can accommodate up to 120 people at a time on his four wagons, which are loaded with loose hay. He can also arrange for after-hours use of the park for group picnics and barbecues in conjunction with the rides. Hayrides may be scheduled any time

of the day or evening up to midnight. Reservations are a must, and when you call, be sure to get directions to the hard-to-find site. Hourlong rides are $5 per person with a $75 minimum; half-hour rides are $3 with a $75 minimum.

Industry Hills Equestrian Center, 16200 Temple Ave., City of Industry, (818) 964-6773.

Two weeks’ advance reservations are required to book the half-hour-to-45-minute rides around the rustic area near the equestrian center and the hills beyond, which offer panoramic views of Los Angeles, Mt. Baldy and the San Bernardino Mountains. Rides can begin or end with a catered dinner by arrangement. Hayrides are $7.50 per person, with a 22-person minimum.

Orange County Stables (also known as Hart’s Livestock), 1200 Coal Canyon Road, Corona, (714) 637-6990.

Meander through the countryside along the Santa Ana River on a hayrack drawn by a team of Belgian, Percheron or shire horses. Willows, oaks and cottonwood trees add to the rustic ambiance. No food is offered, but visitors may bring food to grill on fire rings available at the stables. Hayride costs $3.50 per person with a $70 minimum.

Old West Stables, 24160 Temescal Canyon Road, Corona, (714) 371-0181. Historical points of interest in Riverside County are a focus of the Chili-Western hayride, which travels past the site of the old Butterfield Stage Depot, a legendary hangman’s tree and the locale of the county’s first home. According to local lore, $10,000 in $20 gold pieces--booty from a robbery of the stage depot in the late 1800s--is hidden somewhere in the vicinity. After the hayride, the stable offers a chili dinner and live country music. Fifteen-person minimum at $10 per person. Without the cookout, the ride costs $5 per person with a $100 minimum.

Live Oak Stable, Trabuco Canyon Road at Live Oak Canyon Road, across from O’Neill Park, El Toro, (714) 858-9922.

Most groups choose the early evening for a hayride through O’Neill Park. A wagon loaded with several bales of hay can hold up to 45 people. The wagon travels through country settings pulled by a team of Belgian horses. The ride is $3 per person, $60 minimum; $25 deposit required at least 10 days in advance.

Horseman’s Park, 12115 Black Mountain Road or P.O. Box 26714, San Diego, Calif. 92126, (619) 271-1120.

Belgian teams Dick and Clyde and Babe and Black pull the two hay wagons, each holding up to 50 adults, on the one-hour hayride into Penasquitos Reserve. Owned by the city of San Diego, the reserve is a designated open space for equestrian and hiking aficionados. The ride follows the main dirt trail that winds along Penasquitos Creek. The typical California terrain is dotted with sycamores, sages, eucalyptuses and oaks. Use of the picnic and barbecue area at Horseman’s Park is included with the hayride. Groups bring their own food or make arrangements for a catered dinner. Five dollars per person, $75 minimum.

Western Pacific Outfitters, 9720 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills (213) 859-1507.

Travel through the 1,000-acre Royal Oaks Ranch 13 miles southeast of Gorman on a hay ride that is for groups of up to 25 people; minimum is a group of 20. This private ranch has a lake and a paddle boat available for visitors. Rides on the tractor-pulled wagon are $10 per person or $15 per person for ride and food when the ranch staff prepares a barbecue. When you call for reservations, a brochure with a map of how to get to the ranch will be sent.