Please help with AZ, Utah trip
 

I am in the midst of planning a trip to the Sedona area in September. We are from Charlotte NC, so I was going to fly into Phoenix, rent a car a drive to Sedona. Spend 3-4 nights there(is that enough?) then move on to the Grand Canyon for 2 more nights. Then on to Page for 2 more nights. Here is where I am struggling. We want to do Monument Valley but it is closed at the present time. Not sure if that will change. We could head to Moab from Page instead and spend a few days there. If we do that I feel like driving all the way back to Phoenix for our return trip home is WAY to much backtracking and needless driving. What would be the best choice of airport to fly home from Moab? Any advise on this scenario, additions or subtractions, I would appreciate. Time is not real concern, just seems like a lot of driving.

You can fly out of Moab. It has a small regional airport. My friend flew Moab to Boston with a connection in Denver last week.

Skywest flies out of Moab . . . Skywest is an operator for both UA an DL. United flights connect in Denver and Delta connects in Salt Lake city -- both are major hubs so you can fly just about anywhere starting in Moab

What do you want to do in Page? Antelope Canyon tours may or may not be open. The Navajo have been hit extremely hard by Covid and have shut down much of the activities on their land.

If cost is no problem, then flying into Phoenix and out of Moab or Grand Junction, CO would cut down on driving but probably add airfare and drop fees for the rental car. If you decide to go that route, do check to see if doing the Moab area first and ending in Phoenix makes a difference in the car rental/drop fees.

We have done loops from Las Vegas and Albuquerque as well as Phoenix when visiting the area. Typically I look at airfare and car rental costs and decide on what is my top priority then plan a loop from the most cost effective city. The loop is planned to include my top priority with sites to visit on both ends of the loop to break up the trip.

There are lots of other places to see between Page and Moab even if the Navajo parks are closed. Just a short way north of Monument Valley is Valley of the gods,UT which has similar formations and you can self drive through for example.

There are 2 Phoenix airports (Skyharbor and Phoenix/Mesa). Allegiant has a hub at Phoenix/Mesa (AZA). Check to see if there is an Allegiant flight from somewhere you want to fly from. Allegiant has cheaper flights than other carriers.
In November 2019 my wife and I flew Allegiant to AZA and rented a car. We used Flagstaff as a base for day trips. We saw all that we wanted to see in Sedona in one long day. Another day we went east to Winslow and saw the Glen Frey statue "standing on the corner". We went north from Winslow all the way to Tuba City. The Navajo Nation is a rather bleak landscape. The only gas station that we saw was the one when we got to Tuba City on fumes.
I do advise returning your rental car where you rented it making a big loop. Another option to consider would be to fly to Chicago and then take the Amtrak Southwest Chief to Albuquerque and renting a car there for a big loop including Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

I have a trip report that includes the southeast corner of Utah from last fall https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...to-ca-1696564/ We based in Bluff and there's plenty to do in the area even if Monument Valley remains closed. As oldemalloy mentioned Valley of the Gods has very similar formations.

Great trip report Patty! Love some of those shots, the vistas! the bears!

Cathy52, a few years ago we did Sedona, we flew into Phoenix, drove north to Arcosanti (gorgeous bells and interesting people!), Motezuma's Castle (great stop, in addition to history saw some great wildlife), then we pulled into Sedona, we loved mountain biking (it can be challenging out there), the amazing Holy Cross chapel, Cathedral Rock, Red Rock park, etc. did Cottonwood & Jerome (decent wine), then we hightailed it back to Scottsdale, enjoyed some artwork and toured Taliesin West which was fascinating. Enjoy your trip!!

Another vote for Montezuma’s Castle, Jerome and include Tuzigoot too!

Near Jerome is the Copper Art Muesum. In Clarkdale, AZ, we thought this museum was fascinating and spent a few hours. Well worth it!

https://www.copperartmuseum.com

Missed this when it first came out. Terrific report which we'll make use of on our next SW visit this fall. Great photos too. Thanks.

Four nights in Sedona would be enough time to see and experience the highlights.