--- title: Gun Dog Training From Folsom | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/folsom/ 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/) - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - Folsom # Folsom to Rio Vista: a gun dog plan for the foothills Rio Vista is about 95 minutes and 67 miles from Folsom by road. Richard Gebhart trains gun dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve there, and from Folsom the drive fits in a half-day. ## From Folsom to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 95 minutes 67 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Sacramento US Census Bureau - **Population:** 83,916 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 41.0 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. Folsom, in Sacramento County, is home to 83,916 people with a median age of 41.0 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It sits where the valley begins to rise toward the Sierra foothills. ## Which way do Folsom hunters head? CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey reports that 42 percent of respondents named Sacramento Valley counties for waterfowl hunting, and Folsom is a short drive from the valley floor. The survey also reports that 53.3 percent of respondents mainly hunt public land. Public land is crowded land. A dog that stays steady while others shoot, covered in the [steady-to-shot guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/steady-to-shot/), is easier to hunt with and safer for everyone around it. ## Cameron Park is nearby The California Retriever Training Association, a training and field trial club, is listed in Cameron Park, east of Folsom along Highway 50. It owns grounds at Denverton and elsewhere, according to club listings. If you want to meet other retriever people before booking a program, a club is a good starting place. ## The drive, step by step - Call Richard first. Hours on Google are Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, 8 AM to 2 PM. Call first; he sets drop-off times by phone and prefers Wednesday to Saturday. - Plan about 95 minutes each way with no traffic. Weekday commutes add to that. - Bring the dog's records and ask what else to pack; the [what-to-bring FAQ](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/what-to-bring/) has the usual list. - Ask about a handler lesson so you can run the dog yourself after it comes home. ## A program for a longer drive Because Rio Vista is not around the corner, [board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) lets the dog stay with Richard while the work happens at Hastings Island. Pair it with [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) so that training does not stop at the driveway. ## Public land and a dog's manners Statewide, 53.3 percent of surveyed waterfowl hunters mainly hunt public land, where blinds and walk-in areas are shared. Good manners are not optional there: a dog that breaks, whines or steals another hunter's bird spoils the day for everyone. Richard's programs build the habits behind those manners. The [line manners guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/honoring-delivery-line-manners/) shows the behaviors, and the [Basic Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/basic-waterfowl/) is where they begin. ## What a Folsom owner might ask Many questions are about timing. If you want a dog ready for a specific opener, call well before the opener so there is time to plan. The [off-season training calendar](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/off-season-training-calendar/) gives a sense of what each month is for. ### Sources (3) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline](https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline) (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 : [census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-5year.html](https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-5year.html) (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 - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [From Roseville to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/roseville/) - [Steady to shot: what it means and how it is taught](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/steady-to-shot/) ## Other drive times [Fremont](https://royalgundogs.com/from/fremont/)[Turlock](https://royalgundogs.com/from/turlock/)[Roseville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/roseville/)[Jackson](https://royalgundogs.com/from/jackson/)[Santa Rosa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-rosa/)[Williams](https://royalgundogs.com/from/williams/)[Auburn](https://royalgundogs.com/from/auburn/)[San Francisco](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-francisco/) ## Questions from Folsom owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Folsom? About 95 minutes and 67 miles by road, with no traffic. ### Does Richard teach owners as well? Yes. He trains handlers alongside their dogs, one-on-one or in group lessons. ### Is there a retriever club near Folsom? The California Retriever Training Association is listed in Cameron Park. Check its own pages for membership details.