--- title: Gun Dog Training From Los Banos | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-banos/ 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/) - Los Banos # From Los Banos to Rio Vista for gun dog training Rio Vista is about 2.2 hours and 109 miles from Los Banos 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 Los Banos to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 2.2 hours 109 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Merced US Census Bureau - **Population:** 47,593 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 30.3 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. Los Banos sits in Merced County, home to large public wetlands, and the median age here is 30.3 in a city of about 48,000 (Census Bureau). Hunters in town live next to waterfowl country, and many of them want a dog trained for it. ## The drive, honestly About 109 miles and about 2.2 hours with no traffic, according to OpenStreetMap routing. That is a long drive each way, so this page puts Los Banos in the long-drive tier rather than a short-drive tier. Plan it as a full day. Call Richard first, and ask him about drop-off and pick-up from the San Joaquin Valley. ## Wetlands outside your door Los Banos Wildlife Area, at 18110 Henry Miller Avenue, is about 6,200 acres of wetland with over 200 bird species, and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge adds over 26,800 acres in the San Joaquin Valley (CDFW and USFWS). CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey lists Merced County second among counties hunters named, at 9.20 percent of respondents. The survey tells us where hunters go, and it does not say where they live. It does explain why a Los Banos owner may want a retriever that can handle a big marsh. ## How board-and-train works at that distance Because the dog stays with Richard during the work, you make the long drive only a few times. That is what [board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) offers when you live a couple of hours away. - Call Richard to describe your dog and what you hunt. - Agree on the program and the number of weeks with him; lengths and weekly rates are on the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/). - Take the dog to Hastings Island for the stay, since the training happens there. - Return for a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) and to bring the dog home. ## Clubs on your side of the Coast Range The Vizsla Club of Northern California lists an event at O'Neill Forebay Wildlife Area in Santa Nella, and the San Francisco Bay Weimaraner Club lists one at Little Panoche Wildlife Area in Firebaugh. Both are close to Los Banos. For retrievers, the calendar on our [hunt test page](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) points to AKC Event Search. ## Before you set out Call first. Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first; Richard sets drop-off times by phone, and Wednesday to Saturday are the days he prefers. From Los Banos, leave early enough to arrive well inside that window, and ask Richard which day suits a drop-off. Bring your questions about the plan, and read the [how to book training](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/how-to-book-training/) answer if this is your first call. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Los-Banos-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Los-Banos-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/san-luis](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/san-luis) (checked October 27, 2026) - 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) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0644028](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0644028) (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/) - [Waterfowl habitat and refuges in California](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/) - [From Modesto to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/modesto/) ## Other drive times [Sonora](https://royalgundogs.com/from/sonora/)[Willows](https://royalgundogs.com/from/willows/)[Merced](https://royalgundogs.com/from/merced/)[Grass Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/from/grass-valley/)[Colusa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/colusa/)[Placerville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/placerville/)[Santa Cruz](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-cruz/)[Oroville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/oroville/) ## Questions from Los Banos owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Los Banos? About 2.2 hours and 109 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I do it as a same-day round trip? It is a long drive each way, so plan a full day. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from the San Joaquin Valley. ### Which refuges are near Los Banos? Los Banos Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge; see the [refuges data page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/).