--- title: Gun Dog Training From San Luis Obispo | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-luis-obispo/ 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/) - [Central Coast](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/central-coast/) - San Luis Obispo # San Luis Obispo to Rio Vista: a board-and-train trip Rio Vista is about 5.3 hours and 260 miles from San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 5.3 hours 260 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** San Luis Obispo US Census Bureau - **Population:** 48,491 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 26.3 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. San Luis Obispo is a college town of about 48,000 on the central coast, with a median age of 26.3 (Census Bureau). Valley quail is a statewide bird, and the dogs that hunt it well are trained for it. ## The honest drive Plan on about 260 miles and about 5.3 hours with no traffic, according to OpenStreetMap routing. This site puts San Luis Obispo in the overnight tier. Treat each trip as a travel day and ask Richard how drop-off and pick-up should work. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from the Central Coast. Do not plan on a same-day return. ## Quail seasons, as CDFW lists them CDFW's upland page gives these dates for its quail zones but no county list, so confirm your zone on CDFW's quail zone map before you plan around a date. The [2026-27 seasons page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) has the full upland summary and a link. Quail seasons, as CDFW lists them Zone All quail season, 2026-27 Q2 Sep 26 - Jan 31 Q1 and Q3 Oct 17 - Jan 31 ## Why a pointer or spaniel owner might make the trip Quail hunting rewards a dog that finds birds, holds them and handles to the gun. Richard expanded to pointers and other upland breeds in 2013, under Steve Klassen at Blue Ridge Kennels. If your dog is a pointer or setter, read the [Formal Gun Dog Training page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/) first; for a spaniel, ask Richard. Retriever owners come from the coast, too. Richard describes the work as bird dogs for the hunt, waterfowl and upland. ## Making a long trip worth it - Ask Richard what your dog should know before it arrives. - Confirm the day and time of drop-off; Google lists hours of 8 AM to 2 PM except Tuesday. - Schedule a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) for pick-up day. - Read the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) before you call. ## Clubs on the central coast The Central Coast Hunting Retriever Club of California lists a hunt test at the CRTA Goose Lake grounds in Lost Hills on the 2026 California calendar. For other breeds, check the calendar and AKC Event Search. ## Hours to plan around Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first, and book ahead if you can: Richard likes a month and recommends six weeks. A morning departure from San Luis Obispo lands you in Rio Vista in the afternoon, so ask Richard about timing before you set out. Coastal owners sometimes wonder whether a puppy should wait. The [when to start a hunting puppy](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/when-to-start-a-hunting-puppy/) guide covers the question, and Richard, who likes to start Puppy Camp at 5 to 7 months, can tell you how he sees a young dog on the phone. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0668154](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0668154) (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 - [Central Coast](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/central-coast/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Formal Gun Dog Training](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/) - [California 2026-27 waterfowl and upland seasons](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) ## Other drive times [Susanville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/susanville/)[Bakersfield](https://royalgundogs.com/from/bakersfield/)[Paso Robles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/paso-robles/)[Eureka](https://royalgundogs.com/from/eureka/)[Santa Maria](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-maria/)[Tulelake](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulelake/)[Tulare](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulare/)[Lancaster](https://royalgundogs.com/from/lancaster/) ## Questions from San Luis Obispo owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from San Luis Obispo? About 5.3 hours and 260 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I do it as a same-day round trip? No. It is an overnight-tier distance; plan travel days on each end. ### Do I need to hunt quail to train with Richard? No. He trains waterfowl and upland dogs. Tell him what you hunt.