Consolidating Financial Statements Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	$ 355,780	$ 357,731
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	253,313	257,511
Selling and general expenses	19,619	16,433
Other operating expense (income), net	(1,148)	(2,118)
Costs and Expenses, Total	271,784	271,826
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	13	1,673
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	84,009	87,578
Interest expense	(11,825)	(13,317)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(23)	293
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	72,161	74,554
Income tax (expense) benefit	(18,724)	(16,142)
NET INCOME	53,437	58,412	276,005
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	10,170	1,814
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	63,607	60,226
Parent Company [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0
Selling and general expenses	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	0	0
Interest expense	(1,249)	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,912	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	52,774	58,412
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	53,437	58,412
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0
NET INCOME	53,437	58,412
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	10,170	1,814
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	63,607	60,226
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0
Selling and general expenses	3,311	2,716
Other operating expense (income), net	121	49
Costs and Expenses, Total	3,432	2,765
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	(3,432)	(2,765)
Interest expense	(238)	(130)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,327	1,337
Equity in income from subsidiaries	55,446	60,044
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	53,103	58,486
Income tax (expense) benefit	(329)	(74)
NET INCOME	52,774	58,412
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	10,170	1,814
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	62,944	60,226
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Issuer Subsidiary [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0
Selling and general expenses	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	0	0
Interest expense	(10,226)	(13,050)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(1,208)	(1,073)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	45,745	44,435
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	34,311	30,312
Income tax (expense) benefit	4,174	5,155
NET INCOME	38,485	35,467
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	102	149
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	38,587	35,616
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Non-guarantor Subsidiaries of Rayonier TRS Holdings Inc [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	335,438	328,265
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	247,054	244,297
Selling and general expenses	15,512	13,070
Other operating expense (income), net	1,512	298
Costs and Expenses, Total	264,078	257,665
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	171	194
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	71,531	70,794
Interest expense	687	(112)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(3,904)	(5,024)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	68,314	65,658
Income tax (expense) benefit	(22,569)	(21,223)
NET INCOME	45,745	44,435
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	102	149
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	45,847	44,584
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Non-guarantor Subsidiaries All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	38,171	42,833
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	26,818	27,997
Selling and general expenses	796	647
Other operating expense (income), net	(2,781)	(2,464)
Costs and Expenses, Total	24,833	26,180
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	(158)	1,479
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	13,180	18,132
Interest expense	(799)	(25)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,850	5,053
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	14,231	23,160
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0
NET INCOME	14,231	23,160
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	7,132	(191)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	21,363	22,969
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	(17,829)	(13,367)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	(20,559)	(14,783)
Selling and general expenses	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	(1)
Costs and Expenses, Total	(20,559)	(14,784)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	2,730	1,417
Interest expense	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	0	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	(153,965)	(162,891)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(151,235)	(161,474)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0
NET INCOME	(151,235)	(161,474)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	(17,506)	(1,921)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	(168,741)	(163,395)
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	312,642	296,251
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	227,508	215,566
Selling and general expenses	15,698	12,769
Other operating expense (income), net	980	1,060
Costs and Expenses, Total	244,186	229,395
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	68,456	66,856
Interest expense	(9,778)	(13,292)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(3,789)	(4,762)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	16,655	25,374
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	71,544	74,176
Income tax (expense) benefit	(18,770)	(15,764)
NET INCOME	52,774	58,412
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	10,170	1,814
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	62,944	60,226
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	60,967	74,847
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	46,364	56,728
Selling and general expenses	3,921	3,664
Other operating expense (income), net	(2,128)	(3,177)
Costs and Expenses, Total	48,157	57,215
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	13	1,673
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	12,823	19,305
Interest expense	(798)	(25)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,854	5,055
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	13,879	24,335
Income tax (expense) benefit	46	(378)
NET INCOME	13,925	23,957
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	7,030	(281)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	20,955	23,676
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	(17,829)	(13,367)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	(20,559)	(14,783)
Selling and general expenses	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	(1)
Costs and Expenses, Total	(20,559)	(14,784)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	2,730	1,417
Interest expense	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	0	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	(69,429)	(83,786)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(66,699)	(82,369)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0
NET INCOME	(66,699)	(82,369)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)	(17,200)	(1,533)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	$ (83,899)	$ (83,902)