Consolidating Financial Statements (Income Statement Details) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	$ 385,091	$ 377,515	$ 1,100,218	$ 999,925
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	266,184	269,203	786,467	744,996
Selling and general expenses	15,762	17,125	48,187	49,264
Other operating income, net	(4,171)	(792)	(5,580)	(6,620)
Costs and Expenses, Total	277,775	285,536	829,074	787,640
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	994	103	3,817	634
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF THE INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE	108,310	92,082	274,961	212,919
Gain on sale of a portion of the interest in the New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	12,367
OPERATING INCOME	108,310	92,082	274,961	225,286
Interest Expense	(12,356)	(12,943)	(38,300)	(37,680)
Interest and miscellaneous income, net	331	345	935	943
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	96,285	79,484	237,596	188,549
Income tax (expense) benefit	8,624	(16,580)	(17,822)	(30,134)
NET INCOME	104,909	62,904	219,774	158,415	217,586
Parent Company [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating income, net	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	0	0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF THE INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE				0
Gain on sale of a portion of the interest in the New Zealand joint venture				0
OPERATING INCOME	0	0	0	0
Interest Expense	0	0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income, net	0	0	0	0
Equity in Income from Subsidiaries	104,909	62,904	219,774	158,415
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	104,909	62,904	219,774	158,415
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	104,909	62,904	219,774	158,415
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Selling and general expenses	2,566	2,735	7,497	7,591
Other operating income, net	45	54	130	73
Costs and Expenses, Total	2,611	2,789	7,627	7,664
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF THE INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE				(7,664)
Gain on sale of a portion of the interest in the New Zealand joint venture				0
OPERATING INCOME	(2,611)	(2,789)	(7,627)	(7,664)
Interest Expense	(440)	(80)	(831)	70
Interest and miscellaneous income, net	1,332	1,335	3,972	11,595
Equity in Income from Subsidiaries	106,350	66,680	224,142	158,198
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	104,631	65,146	219,656	162,199
Income tax (expense) benefit	278	(2,242)	118	(3,784)
NET INCOME	104,909	62,904	219,774	158,415
Issuer Entity [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating income, net	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	0	0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF THE INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE				0
Gain on sale of a portion of the interest in the New Zealand joint venture				0
OPERATING INCOME	0	0	0	0
Interest Expense	(12,139)	(12,682)	(37,350)	(37,643)
Interest and miscellaneous income, net	(1,121)	(987)	(3,313)	(3,276)
Equity in Income from Subsidiaries	76,971	29,793	166,190	80,547
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	63,711	16,124	125,527	39,628
Income tax (expense) benefit	4,840	4,989	14,842	14,935
NET INCOME	68,551	21,113	140,369	54,563
Non-guarantor Subsidiary Rayonier TRS Holdings Inc [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	342,937	349,311	1,002,015	928,643
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	254,969	280,715	750,375	754,937
Selling and general expenses	12,584	13,613	38,639	39,343
Other operating income, net	(2,606)	679	(406)	(955)
Costs and Expenses, Total	264,947	295,007	788,608	793,325
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	200	147	561	652
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF THE INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE				135,970
Gain on sale of a portion of the interest in the New Zealand joint venture				7,697
OPERATING INCOME	78,190	54,451	213,968	143,667
Interest Expense	328	(153)	73	0
Interest and miscellaneous income, net	(5,053)	(5,178)	(15,069)	(21,835)
Equity in Income from Subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	73,465	49,120	198,972	121,832
Income tax (expense) benefit	3,506	(19,327)	(32,782)	(41,285)
NET INCOME	76,971	29,793	166,190	80,547
Non-guarantor Subsidiary All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	61,463	69,040	147,884	203,909
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	32,376	33,900	90,630	99,782
Selling and general expenses	612	777	2,051	2,330
Other operating income, net	(1,610)	(1,525)	(5,304)	(5,738)
Costs and Expenses, Total	31,378	33,152	87,377	96,374
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	794	(44)	3,256	(18)
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF THE INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE				107,517
Gain on sale of a portion of the interest in the New Zealand joint venture				4,670
OPERATING INCOME	30,879	35,844	63,763	112,187
Interest Expense	(105)	(28)	(192)	(107)
Interest and miscellaneous income, net	5,173	5,175	15,345	14,459
Equity in Income from Subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	35,947	40,991	78,916	126,539
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	35,947	40,991	78,916	126,539
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	(19,309)	(40,836)	(49,681)	(132,627)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	(21,161)	(45,412)	(54,538)	(109,723)
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating income, net	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	(21,161)	(45,412)	(54,538)	(109,723)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF THE INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE				(22,904)
Gain on sale of a portion of the interest in the New Zealand joint venture				0
OPERATING INCOME	1,852	4,576	4,857	(22,904)
Interest Expense	0	0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income, net	0	0	0	0
Equity in Income from Subsidiaries	(288,230)	(159,377)	(610,106)	(397,160)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(286,378)	(154,801)	(605,249)	(420,064)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	$ (286,378)	$ (154,801)	$ (605,249)	$ (420,064)