The name likely comes from brush corrals built by Native Americans on the banks of the river, called "buffalo parks" by early explorers.
The corrals were used in a form of hunting in which buffalo would be driven into them and over the steep river banks in order to kill or injure them.
[1] Elmwood (Grafton, North Dakota), a house listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located by it.
[2] Tributaries include the North Branch, South Branch, and Cart Creek.
This article related to a river in North Dakota is a stub.