--- title: Gun Dog Training From Bakersfield | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/bakersfield/ business: Royal Gun Dogs trainer: Richard Gebhart (professional gun dog trainer since 2002) phone: (530) 341-4496 email: royalgundogs@yahoo.com trains_at: Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, 7758 Hastings Island Rd, Rio Vista, CA 94571 (Solano County) booking: call or text Richard directly --- - [Home](https://royalgundogs.com/) - [All of California](https://royalgundogs.com/from/) - [San Joaquin Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) - Bakersfield # Bakersfield to Rio Vista: a board-and-train trip Rio Vista is about 5.1 hours and 266 miles from Bakersfield by road. Richard Gebhart trains at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve there, and owners bring dogs to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Bakersfield to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 5.1 hours 266 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Kern US Census Bureau - **Population:** 411,986 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 32.1 ACS 5-year 2024 Drive estimate from road routing between town centers (no traffic), pulled October 2026. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Bakersfield is at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, with about 412,000 residents and a median age of 32.1 (Census Bureau). From here the Delta is a long way north, and the honest planning starts with that number. ## Five hours each way OpenStreetMap routing gives about 266 miles and about 5.1 hours with no traffic. That is the overnight tier on this site, and a long day each way even if you drive straight through. Plan on more than one day. Dogs come to Richard from across California, so a trip like this is part of how the work happens. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from Kern County, and plan your own travel around what he tells you. ## Kern National Wildlife Refuge Kern National Wildlife Refuge, 19 miles west of Delano at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, offers waterfowl hunting and is closed to non-hunters on Wednesdays and Saturdays from October through January (USFWS). A Bakersfield duck hunter knows that routine of early starts and assigned days. The refuge page does not state its acreage, so we leave it out. ## What the long drive buys you Richard trains handlers alongside their dogs, one-on-one or in groups, which is the part that matters most when the training happens far from home. - One drive down, one drive back, instead of weekly trips. - A dog trained on Delta marsh and upland cover in one stay. - A [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) so the commands work for you at home. - A trainer whose experience runs from field trial retrievers to everyday hunting dogs and home companions. ## Planning the stay Because the trip is long, ask Richard early how he likes to schedule a drop-off and which days he is at the preserve. Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first. Drop-off is arranged by phone, and Richard likes dogs on the books a month out. A Bakersfield owner leaving in the morning will reach Rio Vista in the afternoon, so ask about timing before you set out. Read the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) for the overview, and bring your questions to the call. ## Clubs in the southern Valley The Central Coast Hunting Retriever Club of California lists a hunt test at the CRTA Goose Lake grounds in Lost Hills, in Kern County, on the 2026 calendar. The Arrowhead English Springer Spaniel Club lists events at Kincaid Wildlife Management Area near Porterville. Verify any date through AKC Event Search or the club. ### Sources (4) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/kern](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/kern) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0603526](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0603526) (checked October 27, 2026) - Hastings Island Hunting Preserve : [hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/](https://hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/) (checked October 27, 2026) - Bird Dog & Retriever News : [bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/](https://www.bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/) (checked October 27, 2026) ### Where Richard trains Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, 7758 Hastings Island Rd, near Rio Vista in Solano County. Call before you drive out. [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Hastings+Island+Hunting+Preserve+Rio+Vista+CA&destination_place_id=ChIJA_E9R8AphYAR_4YnvcqbaAU) ### Start here - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Free training consult](https://royalgundogs.com/free-consult/) ### Your trainer Richard Gebhart has trained dogs professionally since 2002, learned the Rex Carr method for Retriever Basics under Billy Sargenti, and has run and qualified at an AKC Master National. [Meet Richard](https://royalgundogs.com/richard-gebhart/) ### Related - [San Joaquin Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [From Fresno to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/fresno/) - [Waterfowl habitat and refuges in California](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/) ## Other drive times [Susanville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/susanville/)[San Luis Obispo](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-luis-obispo/)[Paso Robles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/paso-robles/)[Eureka](https://royalgundogs.com/from/eureka/)[Santa Maria](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-maria/)[Tulare](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulare/)[Visalia](https://royalgundogs.com/from/visalia/)[Hanford](https://royalgundogs.com/from/hanford/) ## Questions from Bakersfield owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Bakersfield? About 5.1 hours and 266 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I do it as a same-day round trip? No. At this distance, plan a full travel day each way. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from your area. ### Will I learn to handle the dog myself? Yes, through [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/); Richard trains handlers too.