Crowded out? Here is our list of 4 alternatives to popular Delaware outdoor destinations

After Delaware's busiest and most crowded summer holiday, you may find yourself looking for a little bit of solitude.

Throngs of locals and tourists sought outdoor recreation in Delaware over the Fourth of July weekend, especially at the beaches, where many state park areas were forced to operate on a one-in, one-out basis. With the celebration over, you may desire an experience that's a little less ... people-y.

Here are some alternatives to Delaware's most-crowded outdoor destinations.

Instead of Cape Henlopen State Park, visit...

Looking for a beach trip that doesn't include kids kicking up sand as they pass your beach towel? Try Broadkill Beach.

Broadkill, just north of Lewes, is a tiny, sleepy community with many strictly-summer residents, set on a narrow strip of land between the Delaware Bay and the saltmarshes of Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

It's still small enough and not well-known enough to allow for plenty of room between beach encampments, and, unlike the muddiness of some other bay beaches, Broadkill has a sandy, shallow bottom, making for pleasant swimming and watersports.

The only store in town, The Broadkill Store, is conveniently located at Broadkill and Bay roads, offering pizza, subs, burgers, donuts and ice cream alongside beach essentials. The sandy, uneven wood-plank floors and the screen door will make you feel like you're a kid on summer vacation in the 1980s.

Broadkill is also a beautiful natural area, with several spots for fishing on Broadkill Road, plenty of birding opportunities and, at this time of year, everyone's favorite ancient anthropods: horseshoe crabs.

More ideas:Looking for a break from the Delaware beaches? These trips can all be done in a day

Instead of Trap Pond, visit...

The nearby Trussum Pond.

Laurel's Trap Pond has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. It features miles of trails, fantastic camping, plenty of pavilions, a playground and rentable kayaks, canoes and paddleboats.

Honestly, you could find a more crowded park, but longtime Trap Pond-goers are wondering where all the people came from. There's also the fact that, this year, due to construction on the spillway, the boat ramp is closed and the pond's water level is much lower than usual.

But just west of Trap Pond, on Wootten Road, is Trussum Pond. There are no walking trails - Trussum is strictly canoe- or kayak-only.

Paddling Trussum Pond feels very much like paddling through a southern bayou. In this baldcypress swamp, there aren't any gators, but there are frogs and turtles galore and a plethora of green. Bring your camera and plan for a slow paddle so you can take in everything around you.

Looking for free activities:From museums to parks to pools, here are 10 free things to do in Delaware this summer

Instead of Killens Pond, visit...

You're just not going to get the waterslides anywhere else, but if you're looking for natural beauty similar to Killens Pond, check out Abbott's Mill in Milford.

Managed by the Delaware Nature Society, the 376-acre Abbott's Mill preserve centers around a historic gristmill on Abbott's Pond Road.

The pond itself is surrounded by trails through Atlantic white cedar forests and features a boat ramp. On the other side of the mill, a handicapped-accessible boardwalk runs along Johnson Branch, while the outer edges of the property are lined with flower- and butterfly-filled meadows.

Looking for snakes in Delaware? :Here are the First State's 5 most 'snake-infested' lakes

Instead of Bellevue State Park, visit...

Right off I-95, Bellevue is relatively small and always busy. It's worth the time to travel across New Castle County to Ashland Nature Center for a different experience in a quieter setting.

Ashland is located off Barley Mill Road in Hockessin. It's another Delaware Nature Society property (their headquarters) and serves as a "hub for all of its activities of education and natural resource conservation," the group's website says. Like at Bellevue, there's always something going on.

Ashland features about five miles of hilly trails along Red Clay Creek, numerous streams and 30 acres of woodlands, meadows and marshes. There's a hawk watch, a bird blind and a picnic area.

Nature fix still not quite satisfied? Head about a mile down the road to Mt. Cuba Center, a gorgeous botanic garden dedicated to native plants and a great place to watch pollinator insects do their thing.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.