Consolidating Financial Statements Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	$ 371,926	$ 357,397	$ 727,706	$ 715,127
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	262,555	262,772	515,868	520,283
Selling and general expenses	16,250	15,992	35,868	32,425
Other operating (income) expense, net	(5,299)	709	(6,446)	(1,409)
Costs and Expenses, Total	273,506	279,473	545,290	551,299
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	170	1,149	184	2,823
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	98,590	79,073	182,600	166,651
Interest expense	(16,056)	(12,628)	(27,880)	(25,945)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	85	314	59	605
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	82,619	66,759	154,779	141,311
Income tax benefit (expense)	(13,540)	(10,305)	(32,264)	(26,446)
NET INCOME	69,079	56,454	122,515	114,865	276,005
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	(6,678)	10,235	3,493	12,049
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	62,401	66,689	126,008	126,914
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) expense, 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 (LOSS) INCOME	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(3,117)	0	(4,366)	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,544	0	3,455	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	70,652	56,454	123,426	114,865
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	69,079	56,454	122,515	114,865
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	69,079	56,454	122,515	114,865
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	(6,678)	10,235	3,493	12,049
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	62,401	66,689	126,008	126,914
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | 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	1,904	2,215	5,215	4,931
Other operating (income) expense, net	(109)	36	12	85
Costs and Expenses, Total	1,795	2,251	5,227	5,016
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	(1,795)	(2,251)	(5,227)	(5,016)
Interest expense	(212)	(261)	(450)	(391)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,659	1,303	2,986	2,640
Equity in income from subsidiaries	70,948	57,748	126,394	117,792
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	70,600	56,539	123,703	115,025
Income tax benefit (expense)	52	(85)	(277)	(160)
NET INCOME	70,652	56,454	123,426	114,865
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	(6,678)	10,235	3,493	12,049
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	63,974	66,689	126,919	126,914
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Issuer Subsidiary [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) expense, 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 (LOSS) INCOME	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(10,243)	(12,161)	(20,469)	(25,211)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(834)	(1,117)	(2,042)	(2,191)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	60,407	44,783	106,152	89,218
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	49,330	31,505	83,641	61,816
Income tax benefit (expense)	4,043	4,845	8,217	10,002
NET INCOME	53,373	36,350	91,858	71,818
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	698	360	800	509
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	54,071	36,710	92,658	72,327
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Non-guarantor Subsidiaries of Rayonier TRS Holdings Inc [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	345,227	330,812	680,665	659,077
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	250,845	251,107	497,899	495,404
Selling and general expenses	13,067	12,985	28,579	26,055
Other operating (income) expense, net	(2,330)	1,903	(818)	2,201
Costs and Expenses, Total	261,582	265,995	525,660	523,660
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	167	167	338	361
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	83,812	64,984	155,343	135,778
Interest expense	(1,635)	(144)	(948)	(256)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(4,135)	(4,992)	(8,039)	(10,016)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	78,042	59,848	146,356	125,506
Income tax benefit (expense)	(17,635)	(15,065)	(40,204)	(36,288)
NET INCOME	60,407	44,783	106,152	89,218
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	698	360	800	509
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	61,105	45,143	106,952	89,727
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Non-guarantor Subsidiaries All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	43,584	43,589	81,755	86,421
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	26,716	30,257	53,534	58,254
Selling and general expenses	1,279	792	2,074	1,439
Other operating (income) expense, net	(4,011)	(1,230)	(6,792)	(3,694)
Costs and Expenses, Total	23,984	29,819	48,816	55,999
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	3	982	(154)	2,462
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	19,603	14,752	32,785	32,884
Interest expense	(849)	(62)	(1,647)	(87)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,851	5,120	3,699	10,172
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	20,605	19,810	34,837	42,969
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	20,605	19,810	34,837	42,969
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	(10,556)	8,020	(3,424)	7,830
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	10,049	27,830	31,413	50,799
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	(16,885)	(17,004)	(34,714)	(30,371)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	(15,006)	(18,592)	(35,565)	(33,375)
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating (income) expense, net	1,151	0	1,152	(1)
Costs and Expenses, Total	(13,855)	(18,592)	(34,413)	(33,376)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	(3,030)	1,588	(301)	3,005
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	(202,007)	(158,985)	(355,972)	(321,875)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(205,037)	(157,397)	(356,273)	(318,870)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	(205,037)	(157,397)	(356,273)	(318,870)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	15,838	(18,975)	(1,669)	(20,897)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	(189,199)	(176,372)	(357,942)	(339,767)
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	315,293	294,277	627,935	590,528
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	224,027	217,793	451,535	433,359
Selling and general expenses	11,841	11,785	27,539	24,554
Other operating (income) expense, net	(2,561)	794	(1,581)	1,854
Costs and Expenses, Total	233,307	230,372	477,493	459,767
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	81,986	63,905	150,442	130,761
Interest expense	(12,089)	(12,566)	(21,867)	(25,858)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(3,320)	(4,823)	(7,109)	(9,586)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	17,014	20,328	33,669	45,702
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	83,591	66,844	155,135	141,019
Income tax benefit (expense)	(12,939)	(10,390)	(31,709)	(26,154)
NET INCOME	70,652	56,454	123,426	114,865
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	(6,678)	10,235	3,493	12,049
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	63,974	66,689	126,919	126,914
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	73,518	80,123	134,485	154,970
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	53,534	63,571	99,898	120,299
Selling and general expenses	4,409	4,207	8,329	7,871
Other operating (income) expense, net	(3,889)	(85)	(6,017)	(3,262)
Costs and Expenses, Total	54,054	67,693	102,210	124,908
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	170	1,149	184	2,823
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	19,634	13,579	32,459	32,885
Interest expense	(850)	(62)	(1,647)	(87)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,861	5,137	3,713	10,191
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	20,645	18,654	34,525	42,989
Income tax benefit (expense)	(601)	85	(555)	(292)
NET INCOME	20,044	18,739	33,970	42,697
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	(10,079)	8,142	(3,049)	7,861
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	9,965	26,881	30,921	50,558
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	(16,885)	(17,003)	(34,714)	(30,371)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	(15,006)	(18,592)	(35,565)	(33,375)
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating (income) expense, net	1,151	0	1,152	(1)
Costs and Expenses, Total	(13,855)	(18,592)	(34,413)	(33,376)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	(3,030)	1,589	(301)	3,005
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	(87,666)	(76,782)	(157,095)	(160,567)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(90,696)	(75,193)	(157,396)	(157,562)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	(90,696)	(75,193)	(157,396)	(157,562)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME	16,757	(18,377)	(444)	(19,910)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	$ (73,939)	$ (93,570)	$ (157,840)	$ (177,472)