--- title: Gun Dog Training From El Centro | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/el-centro/ 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/) - [Southern California](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/) - El Centro # El Centro to Rio Vista: the longest drive on this site Rio Vista is about 10.9 hours and 580 miles from El Centro 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 El Centro to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 10.9 hours 580 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Imperial US Census Bureau - **Population:** 44,240 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 31.0 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. El Centro is the largest city in Imperial County, with about 44,000 residents and a median age of 31.0 (Census Bureau). It is the farthest city we list from Rio Vista, and it sits close to the Imperial Valley dove fields and the Salton Sea. ## Nearly eleven hours OpenStreetMap routing gives about 580 miles and about 10.9 hours with no traffic. That is the overnight tier by a wide margin, and no one should plan it as less than a travel day each way. If this is the right trainer for your dog, call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from Imperial County. ## Hunting at home Imperial Wildlife Area (Wister Unit), about 7,900 acres east of the Salton Sea and five miles northwest of Niland, restricts hunter access during waterfowl season and needs a Type A pass (CDFW). CDFW also posts a 2026 Imperial Valley Dove Hunt Fields map. Ask Richard how he would approach your dog's mix of dove and duck work. Retriever clubs run field trials near Niland in winter: the Salton Sea Retriever Club and the San Diego Retriever Field Trial Club both list them on the 2026 calendar. ## Is a trip this long worth it? That depends on the dog and the goal. Owners choose a trainer for background and fit. Richard started training dogs professionally in 2002, learned the Rex Carr method for Retriever Basics under Billy Sargenti, expanded to upland breeds in 2013, and has run and qualified at an AKC Master National. If the match is right, board-and-train means the dog does the work at Hastings Island while you handle the travel once each way, plus a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) to learn the dog's cues. ## A checklist for the call Richard decides the plan for each dog, so the call comes first. The [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) is a good preview and lists program lengths and weekly rates. - Your dog's breed, age and what it has done so far. - The birds you hunt: doves, ducks, quail, pheasant. - Which season you want the dog ready for. - Dates that work for the long trip north. - Drop-off and pick-up for Imperial County. ## Hours and arrival Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first; he arranges drop-off by phone and likes a dog booked a month out, with six weeks ahead better still. After nearly eleven hours on the road, a confirmed arrival time matters, so call ahead. Imperial Valley owners may also want to read the [e-collar conditioning guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/e-collar-conditioning/) and the [waterfowl opener guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/ready-for-the-waterfowl-opener/) before the call, so the conversation starts with the same vocabulary. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Imperial-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Imperial-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - Bird Dog & Retriever News : [bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/](https://www.bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0621782](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0621782) (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) ### 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 - [Southern California](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [From San Diego to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-diego/) - [Waterfowl habitat and refuges in California](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/) ## Other drive times [San Diego](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-diego/)[Escondido](https://royalgundogs.com/from/escondido/)[Temecula](https://royalgundogs.com/from/temecula/)[Riverside](https://royalgundogs.com/from/riverside/)[Irvine](https://royalgundogs.com/from/irvine/)[Santa Barbara](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-barbara/)[Ventura](https://royalgundogs.com/from/ventura/)[Los Angeles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-angeles/) ## Questions from El Centro owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from El Centro? About 10.9 hours and 580 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I do it as a same-day round trip? No. Plan travel days on each end and call Richard about drop-off and pick-up. ### Where can I read about Southern California hunting? The Southern California page covers the region's hunting and clubs; El Centro is about 10.9 hours from Rio Vista. See the [Southern California page](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/).