HARKERS ISLAND — The northernmost of the three largest islands in the Cape Lookout National Seashore, a popular fall fishing spot, will be closed to vehicles for a few more weeks as cleanup from Hurricane Irene continues.

Access by the seasonal vehicle ferry to the North Core Banks was blocked when Irene ripped through the park in August and pushed sand into the ferry landing area at Long Point.

The National Park Service has decided to dredge the landing so it can reopen, but the work is expected to take until at least mid-November, according to a park service news release Wednesday.

Repairs to the cabins at Long Point will take longer; the park service expects them not to reopen this year, and it has cancelled all reservations for the season.

The entire park is open to pedestrian visitors, and South Core Banks - which includes Cape Lookout and the lighthouse area, the main destination for beach-going visitors - is open to vehicles.