--- title: North State to Rio Vista Drive Times | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/regions/north-state/ 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/) - North State # Hunting-dog owners in the North State Rio Vista is about 3.5 hours from Redding and about 6.5 hours from Tulelake, so board-and-train from the North State means a long drive in each direction. Richard Gebhart trains dogs from across California at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve. ## North State to Rio Vista, town by town Drive times from North State to Rio Vista Town Drive to Rio Vista Miles Population County [Red Bluff](https://royalgundogs.com/from/red-bluff/) about 3.0 hours 155 mi 14,549 Tehama [Redding](https://royalgundogs.com/from/redding/) about 3.5 hours 183 mi 93,409 Shasta [Susanville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/susanville/) about 5.2 hours 225 mi 14,177 Lassen [Eureka](https://royalgundogs.com/from/eureka/) about 5.9 hours 284 mi 26,010 Humboldt [Tulelake](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulelake/) about 6.5 hours 330 mi 925 Siskiyou [Alturas](https://royalgundogs.com/from/alturas/) about 6.8 hours 326 mi 2,681 Modoc Drive times: OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic, to Rio Vista. Population: American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Pulled October 2026. The North State has some of California's best-known waterfowl water, from the Klamath Basin to Honey Lake. This page lays out the honest distance to the training ground, the hunting at home and how to plan a stay of weeks away from your dog. ## How far, town by town Red Bluff is about 3.0 hours (155 miles) from Rio Vista and Redding is about 3.5 hours (183 miles). Those are long drives, not quick ones, and a drop-off or pick-up from either town takes most of a day each way. Beyond that the trip is an overnight: Susanville is about 5.2 hours (225 miles), Eureka about 5.9 hours (284 miles), Tulelake about 6.5 hours (330 miles) and Alturas about 6.8 hours (326 miles). Figures are OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic, measured to Rio Vista, and mountain weather in winter can add time. ## Hunting grounds in the North State Honey Lake Wildlife Area is about 7,600 acres, roughly 20 miles east of Susanville, and lists waterfowl, pheasant, quail and dove hunting (CDFW). Modoc National Wildlife Refuge is about 7,000 acres in the northeast corner of the state and runs a 2026-27 waterfowl season on foot or with a non-motorized cart (USFWS). The Klamath Basin refuge complex, headquartered at Tulelake, says its wetlands serve 80 percent of the migratory waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway, and hunting there requires an annual recreation pass (USFWS). On the coast, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge ran a controlled-permit waterfowl hunt at its Salmon Creek Unit on Tuesdays and Saturdays in the 2025-26 program; check the refuge page for 2026-27. ## Clubs in the north valley The [California 2026 trial and hunt test calendar](https://www.bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/) lists the Lassen Retriever Club's field trial at the Lassen Investment Property in Anderson, just south of Redding, and hunt tests and field trials at Clear Creek Sports Club in Corning, south of Red Bluff. Dates change each year, so confirm any date on AKC Event Search and see our [California hunt test calendar](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) page. ## Planning a stay from up north Dogs come to Richard from all over California, and owners in the North State are part of that picture. The safest way to plan is to call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from your town before you set a date. Ask Richard about pairing the pick-up with a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) so the dog and handler leave working as a team. If you also hunt close to home, ask Richard how to line up your dog's training with your own season. The [2026-27 seasons page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) shows CDFW's dates; the Northeastern zone opens earlier than most of the state, so confirm your county on the zone map. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Honey-Lake-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Honey-Lake-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/tule-lake](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/tule-lake) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/modoc](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/modoc) (checked October 27, 2026) - Bird Dog & Retriever News : [bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/](https://www.bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/) (checked October 27, 2026) ### 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/) ### 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) ### 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 - [From Redding to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/redding/) - [From Red Bluff to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/red-bluff/) - [From Tulelake to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulelake/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [California 2026-27 waterfowl and upland seasons](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) ## Questions from North State owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Redding? About 3.5 hours and 183 miles by road with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### How far is Rio Vista from Tulelake? About 6.5 hours and 330 miles by road with no traffic, which makes it an overnight trip each way. ### Does Richard take dogs from the North State? Dogs come to Richard from all over California for board-and-train. Call him about drop-off and pick-up from your town.