--- title: Gun Dog Training From Roseville | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/roseville/ 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/) - Roseville # From Roseville to Rio Vista: planning the drive Rio Vista is about 93 minutes and 68 miles from Roseville by road. Richard Gebhart trains gun dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve in Rio Vista, and Roseville owners can treat the trip as a half-day. ## From Roseville to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 93 minutes 68 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Placer US Census Bureau - **Population:** 155,955 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 40.2 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. Roseville, in Placer County, has 155,955 residents and a median age of 40.2 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It sits between the Sacramento Valley floor and the Sierra foothills. ## Valley hunters, foothill ground CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey found 42 percent of respondents named Sacramento Valley counties for waterfowl hunting. Roseville is at the valley's eastern edge, so a duck hunter here is close to that ground. Foothill ground matters too. Spenceville Wildlife Area, roughly 11,900 acres in Nevada and Yuba counties, offers valley quail and dove and lists dog training areas and field trials (CDFW). ## A half-day plan At about 93 minutes each way, a round trip is a little over three hours of driving. Plan the visit around Richard's Google hours (Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, 8 AM to 2 PM) and call ahead. ## Clubs worth knowing The Northern California Brittany Club and Monterey Bay English Setter Club both list events at Spenceville on the 2026 California calendar, and the California Retriever Training Association is based in Cameron Park. Look up current dates through the [California calendar page](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) and AKC Event Search. ## Which program? For a retriever, see the [Basic Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/basic-waterfowl/) and, on top of it, the [Advanced Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/advanced-waterfowl/), which is where hunt test work fits. For a pointing dog, see the [Formal Gun Dog Training](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/); for a flushing breed, ask Richard. Board-and-train is how dogs from this far stay with Richard while the work happens. Finish with [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) so you can handle the dog when it comes home. ## Planning for a longer drive Because the trip is longer than for Davis or Woodland, it can make sense to pair drop-off with a handler lesson so the day is not wasted. Call Richard about what is realistic on one visit. Ask about pick-up as well. Richard sets drop-off and pick-up details by phone, so call him about the plan that fits your schedule. ## Two ways to use Richard's experience One is a full stay, where the dog lives with Richard and trains at Hastings Island. The other is a lesson-only plan, where you bring a dog you already own and learn to run it. Richard, who has trained professionally since 2002, works with both owners and dogs. For Roseville, where a round trip is more than three hours, a stay concentrates the training in one place while visits and lessons fit around it. The [owner-handler training FAQ](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/owner-handler-training/) covers the second option. ### 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) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Spenceville-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Spenceville-WA) (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/) - [Basic Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/basic-waterfowl/) ## Other drive times [Jackson](https://royalgundogs.com/from/jackson/)[Folsom](https://royalgundogs.com/from/folsom/)[Fremont](https://royalgundogs.com/from/fremont/)[Turlock](https://royalgundogs.com/from/turlock/)[San Francisco](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-francisco/)[Petaluma](https://royalgundogs.com/from/petaluma/)[Santa Rosa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-rosa/)[Williams](https://royalgundogs.com/from/williams/) ## Questions from Roseville owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Roseville? About 93 minutes and 68 miles by road, with no traffic. ### Where can I train near Roseville? Spenceville Wildlife Area lists dog training areas. Check CDFW's page for rules. ### Which clubs are near Roseville? The 2026 California calendar lists Spenceville events for pointing-breed clubs. Verify dates on AKC Event Search. ### Can I bundle a lesson with drop-off? Roseville is about 93 minutes from Rio Vista, and handler lessons are one-on-one or in a group, so pairing one with drop-off saves a trip. Ask Richard; scheduling depends on his calendar.