But for Kate, 7, and Sarah, 9, the morning walk to school is really more of a nature hike. Unlike their classmates, the girls' journey to school takes them through McNee Ranch State Park's wooded trails and down across Rancho Corral del Tierra – with frequent stops to scout for polliwogs or to feed carrots to the ponies at the neighboring ranches.
The Kisers live in the middle of McNee Ranch State Park, in an old farmhouse built sometime in the 1920s. The home connects to a dirt road at the park trailhead, a spot easily missed on the highway to Devil's Slide. Nestled in a grove of old trees, the quaint home is hidden just a short walk from the beach. The unfenced backyard has an old chicken coop, a pair of swings, a barbecue nook and perhaps the best front-porch view of Montara Mountain anywhere in the county.
  
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Living there comes with responsibility. Terry, who has worked eight years as a State Parks ranger, was selected to live in the old home as part of his job, both as a way to provide cheap, subsidized housing for his family, and to keep him stationed even off-hours on the lands he protects.
The Kiser family’s living arrangements aren’t unique. Dozens of State Parks employees and their families live in historic old buildings at some of Northern California's most scenic natural spots. Housing State Parks rangers and employees at some Coastside's parks has long been considered an effective way to keep a watchful eye on the natural preserves – and that's a role that could become more important as state parks suffer ongoing cuts and possible closure.
“Park rangers are spread so thin, doing this allows us to have someone always working as the eyes and ears,” Terry Kiser said. “We have to take care of all the state parks … and we're trying to do that with light staffing.”
Kiser's location is considered a critical spot for an off-hours posting. The beach waters and the surrounding hilly trails both generate emergency calls from visitors. Just last week, a father and daughter got lost hiking through dense fog in the back trails of Montara Mountain, and park rangers were sent out to help guide them back to the trailhead. The strong currents at nearby Montara State Beach led to two fatalities this summer.
Terry’s role as the nearest off-duty ranger could be changing in the coming days as Sacramento officials consider closing 100 state parks. The nearby state beaches, including Montara and Gray Whale Cove, are both rumored to be at risk of closure due to their comparatively low attendance. But “closing” a state park won’t prevent people from visiting, meaning someone’s going to have to monitor them, Kiser said.
The bare-bones budget of the State Parks system is evident in the old homes. Kiser and his family pay about $1,000 in monthly rent to live at the home — a fee Terry considers more than fair for his modest public-servant salary. But unlike other landlords, the State Parks department has no spare resources to fix a leaky faucet, repair roof shingles or any other maintenance tasks.
That job is up to Kiser and his family, and keeping an old farmhouse maintained is going to be a chore, he said. He's already found cracks and holes in side of the home and a beehive that had to be removed.
But compared to other rangers living in old homes at the Coastside state parks, Kiser and his family are lucky. Paul Keel, the supervisor of the Coastside's state parks, lives at Cascade Ranch at Año Nuevo State Beach. It’s definitely a pristine, awe-inspiring location, but his historic ranch house, built in 1863, is a nightmare of critter infestations and ongoing maintenance. Getting Internet access two years ago has been a real luxury, Keel says, but he still can’t get a TV or a newspaper delivered there.
“Nearly all of our budget goes to visitor facilities, and that means many of our residences aren't in great shape … And with the older homes, we have to follow historical preservation guidelines.” Keel said. “You get to be good friends with these homes.”
Sitting around the breakfast table, about to leave for the school day, Kate and Sarah said it still felt like they were living in someone else’s home.
“It feels like a vacation home,” Sarah said, sipping peppermint tea. “But going to school ... that doesn’t feel like vacation.”
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