--- title: Gun Dog Training From Placerville | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/placerville/ 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/) - Placerville # Placerville to Rio Vista: from Apple Hill country to the Delta Rio Vista is about 117 minutes and 87 miles from Placerville by road. Richard Gebhart trains gun dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, and dogs come to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Placerville to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 117 minutes 87 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** El Dorado US Census Bureau - **Population:** 10,762 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 46.8 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. Placerville, the El Dorado County seat, has 10,762 residents and a median age of 46.8 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It is the one foothill town in this set with a retriever club based in its own county. ## The numbers in plain words The drive is about 117 minutes, which is just under two hours for 87 miles. A round trip is close to four hours, so plan a full half-day or more. Estimates come from OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic. Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call to set a time rather than guess. ## A retriever club in El Dorado County The California Retriever Training Association, a club for retriever training and field trials, is based in Cameron Park in El Dorado County (GuideStar). Its listings tie it to training grounds in Solano County, including the Denverton property near Suisun City, where Richard sometimes trains retrievers. If you are new to the retriever world, a club is a good place to meet people who run dogs. The [first hunt test guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/first-hunt-test/) explains what to expect, and the [California hunt test calendar page](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) shows where clubs list events. ## What a Placerville owner might ask Richard - Is my puppy ready for Puppy Camp, or should it wait? - Is a started dog or a pup the better fit for my season? - Can a retriever train for hunt tests and still be a hunting partner? - How do I handle the dog after it comes home? ## Programs worth reading first The [Puppy Camp](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/puppy-camp/) page covers early work, and the [Basic Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/basic-waterfowl/) and [Advanced Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/advanced-waterfowl/) pages cover the work behind the title path. Richard runs dogs and assists clients at local weekend AKC retriever hunt tests, and he has run and qualified at an AKC Master National. With [board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/), the dog lives and trains with Richard at Hastings Island, which saves a foothill owner from the daily two-hour drive. Plan [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) so you can run the dog yourself. ### Sources (3) - guidestar.org : [guidestar.org/Profile/94-3351780](https://www.guidestar.org/Profile/94-3351780) (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 - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [From Folsom to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/folsom/) - [AKC Junior Hunter](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/akc-junior-hunter/) ## Other drive times [Colusa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/colusa/)[Marysville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/marysville/)[Yuba City](https://royalgundogs.com/from/yuba-city/)[San Jose](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-jose/)[Merced](https://royalgundogs.com/from/merced/)[Williams](https://royalgundogs.com/from/williams/)[Auburn](https://royalgundogs.com/from/auburn/)[Los Banos](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-banos/) ## Questions from Placerville owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Placerville? About 117 minutes and 87 miles by road, with no traffic assumed. ### Is there a retriever club near Placerville? The California Retriever Training Association is based in Cameron Park, El Dorado County, per its GuideStar profile. ### Does Richard train retrievers for hunt tests? He is active in the AKC retriever hunt test community and prepares dogs for them. See the [Basic Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/basic-waterfowl/) and [Advanced Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/advanced-waterfowl/) pages. ### What should I ask before booking? Ask about your dog's age and breed, the plan Richard recommends, and drop-off and pick-up. He decides the plan for each dog, and program lengths and weekly rates are published.