--- title: Gun Dog Training From Napa | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/napa/ 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/) - [Bay Area](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/bay-area/) - Napa # Napa to Rio Vista: training a bird dog an hour away Rio Vista is about 56 minutes and 41 miles from Napa 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 Napa to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 56 minutes 41 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Napa US Census Bureau - **Population:** 78,239 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 41.5 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. Napa has about 78,000 residents and a median age of 41.5 (Census Bureau). It is one of the closer cities on this site to the training ground, so a Napa owner can stay in close touch with the work. ## By the numbers Drive times are estimates from OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic, measured to Rio Vista. Add time at commute hours or on summer weekends. By the numbers Measure From Napa Road distance to Rio Vista about 41 miles Drive time, no traffic about 56 minutes Distance tier day trip County Napa County ## The marsh next door The Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area, a CDFW tidal-marsh property, lies along the Napa River south of the city (CDFW). Hunters who live in Napa already know that kind of country: sloughs, tules, tides. Hastings Island and Suisun Marsh are the same habitat farther east, where the Delta begins. Suisun Marsh is roughly 116,000 acres and the largest contiguous brackish wetland in California, managed mostly by CDFW and private duck clubs. The [Suisun Marsh page](https://royalgundogs.com/suisun-marsh/) explains what that means for a dog. ## Why a short drive helps board-and-train With a short drive, you can see your dog's progress yourself. A [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) becomes an easy morning rather than a major trip, and that matters: the dog works for you the way it works for Richard only after you have practiced the same commands together. Ask Richard about visits and how he likes to schedule them. He decides each dog's plan, including how many weeks inside a program's range. The overview is on the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/). ## Pointing breeds and the Golden Empire club The Golden Empire Brittany Club has listed a field trial and hunt test at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve itself, which is Richard's training ground. If you own a Brittany, a visit to one of those events is a good look at the setting. Brittanys, pointers and setters fit Richard's upland work, which began in 2013 at Blue Ridge Kennels. ## Questions Napa owners tend to ask Is a dog from wine country too soft for marsh work? Breed and temperament matter more than the zip code, and Richard looks at the individual dog. Can a house dog be a hunter? Many of the dogs Richard trains are everyday hunting dogs and home companions, in his words. Bring up both on the first call and he will tell you how he sees your dog. ## Hours worth knowing Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call before you drive out; an hour's drive from Napa is easy to plan once you know he is there. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Napa-Sonoma-Marshes-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Napa-Sonoma-Marshes-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - Water Education Foundation : [watereducation.org/aquapedia/suisun-marsh](https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/suisun-marsh) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0650258](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0650258) (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 - [Bay Area](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/bay-area/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Suisun Marsh](https://royalgundogs.com/suisun-marsh/) - [From Vallejo to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/vallejo/) ## Other drive times [Davis](https://royalgundogs.com/from/davis/)[Walnut Creek](https://royalgundogs.com/from/walnut-creek/)[Vallejo](https://royalgundogs.com/from/vallejo/)[Woodland](https://royalgundogs.com/from/woodland/)[Elk Grove](https://royalgundogs.com/from/elk-grove/)[Livermore](https://royalgundogs.com/from/livermore/)[Concord](https://royalgundogs.com/from/concord/)[Vacaville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/vacaville/) ## Questions from Napa owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Napa? About 56 minutes and 41 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I meet Richard before committing? Every dog starts with a phone call, and Napa is about 56 minutes from Rio Vista. Call Richard; he can tell you how he likes to meet a new dog and owner. ### Is Napa County part of the Bay Area region here? Yes. Napa is in the Bay Area region on this site, about 56 minutes from Rio Vista. The [Bay Area page](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/bay-area/) has refuges, clubs and drive times from nearby cities.