Alpena, AR

Sitting right along U.S. 62 on the border of Boone and Carroll counties, Alpena is a quiet Ozarks town with fewer than 400 residents. The community got its start as a railroad camp at the turn of the twentieth century, when early settlers literally moved buildings over from nearby Carrollton to be closer to the tracks. Today, daily life revolves around the local school, a few neighborhood businesses, and the rolling wooded hills along Long Creek. It offers a relaxed, rural atmosphere where neighbors know each other, while still keeping you within an easy drive of bigger regional spots like Harrison and Eureka Springs.