Debt - 4.50% Senior Exchangeable Notes issued August 2009 (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014 note_holder	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014		Aug. 31, 2009
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt		$ 0		$ 3,974,000	$ 0
Number of note holder groups	3
Effective rate		6.21%
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2015 at a fixed interest rate of 4.50% [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Issuance date of debt instrument								August 2009
Face amount		130,973,000		130,973,000		130,973,000		172,500,000.0
Fixed interest rate		4.50%	[1]			4.50%	[1]	4.50%
Terms of conversion feature								The principal will be settled in cash and any excess exchange value will be settled at the option of the Company in either cash or stock of Rayonier. Note holders may convert their notes to common stock of Rayonier, subject to certain provisions including the market price of the stock and the trading price of the convertible notes. The current exchange rate is 42.47 shares per $1,000 principal based on an exchange price of $23.54.
Conversion ratio (per $1,000 principal)						42.47
Option indexed to issuer's equity, indexed shares								5,169,653
Conversion premium								22.50%
Effective conversion premium								46.00%
Effective conversion price						$ 28.12
Option indexed to issuer's equity, strike price						23.54
Exercise price of warrants or rights		28.12				28.12
Exchange price the stock price must exceed		130.00%
Trading days		20 days
Principal amount redeemed	41,500,000
Number of consecutive trading days for stock price		30 days
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2015 - Settlements 1 and 2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt				$ (4,000,000)

[1] Our Senior Exchangeable Notes maturing in 2015 were discounted by $1.3 million and $3.2 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Upon maturity the liability will be $131 million.