Partial Shutdown For Northbay Picnickers Means Bring Your Own Potty, Trash Bin

RODEO BEACH (KPIX) -- It was a magnificently beautiful New Year's Day at Rodeo Beach in Marin, unless you need to go to the bathroom. It's part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and due to the partial government shutdown, they are closed.

The Park family brought their kids for a pancake picnic. The came prepared. They knew the bathrooms were closed so the kids used the built-in potty of their camper van. Then there's the trash issue. For the time being, the trash bins are not being serviced either.

They also have plans as to what they'll do with their trash.

"We're going to take it all with us of course," said Anne Park, mother of twins. "We are very diligent to pick up every last scrap, and pick up anything else we see around."

Rodeo beach is very clean, despite the heavy traffic and huge crowd; Lands End in San Francisco, not so much. Some trail railings are broken. Trash is spilling out of containers, but here again, folks like Rob Berryman are helping out.

"I understand that the Park Rangers aren't working today so we figured that we had plastic bags on us so, why not clean up this mess so we are going to spend this afternoon cleaning up, what we can do." Said Berryman.

Half hour later, the good Samaritans were gone, and so was the pile of trash.

Basically, it depends where you go. Some places are clean while others are starting to show signs of the partial shutdown

Fort Point has some trash scattered along the trail, too, and it is still there. Ocean Beach restrooms are closed, locked up. Here too, it appears folks are making an effort to keep the place clean. While the trash containers were full, there was no garbage on the ground.