No need to wait for your OHV registration to ride SHNF. Honda of Houston sells the OHV stickers at their parts counter - $8 bucks. If they don't have it, here's a list of other places that should:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/ohv/buy.phtml. You can get a day pass at any trail-head - $5 bucks - self-serve cash or check only. Now all you need is a spark arrestor and you're good to ride the national forest.
Three Palms has -some- trail - maybe a mile or two? ..or you can find someone from a local private riding area like Outlaw or Skull Creek and see if you can sweet talk them into taking you as a guest.
I'm sure there's more, but for a quick fix, those would be my choices.