SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance				$ 1,575,151		$ 1,755,243	$ 1,755,243
Net income (loss)		$ (2,860)	$ 16,108	15,320		57,451	97,846
Dividends ($0.50 and $2.03 per share for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, respectively)				(63,380)			(256,861)
Contribution to Rayonier Advanced Materials							19,130
Adjustments to Rayonier Advanced Materials	[1]						(8,226)
Issuance of shares under incentive stock plans				718			5,579
Stock-based compensation				2,588			7,869
Tax deficiency on stock-based compensation				(272)			(791)
Repurchase of common shares				(10,797)	[2],[3]		(1,858)
Net gain (loss) from pension and postretirement plans				1,524			(24,147)
Noncontrolling interest redemption of shares							(931)
Foreign currency translation adjustment		(25,395)	3,517	(39,717)		21,320	(15,847)
Joint venture cash flow hedges		(2,917)	$ (920)	(3,863)		$ 791	(1,855)
Ending balance		$ 1,477,272		$ 1,477,272			$ 1,575,151
Dividends [Abstract]
Dividends declared per share		$ 0.25	$ 0.49	$ 0.50		$ 0.98	$ 2.03
Average price of common stock repurchased (in dollars per share)		$ 25.94
Number of common shares outstanding		126,492,061		126,492,061			126,773,097
Remaining share repurchase authorization amount		$ 89,300		$ 89,300
Common Shares [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance (in shares)	[4]			126,773,097		126,257,870	126,257,870
Beginning balance				$ 702,598		$ 692,100	$ 692,100
Contribution to Rayonier Advanced Materials							$ (301)
Issuance of shares under incentive stock plan (in shares)	[4]			134,448			561,701
Issuance of shares under incentive stock plans				$ 718			$ 5,579
Stock-based compensation				2,588			7,869
Tax deficiency on stock-based compensation				$ (272)			$ (791)
Repurchase of common shares (in shares)	[4]			(415,484)	[2],[3]		(46,474)
Repurchase of common shares				$ (10,797)	[2],[3]		$ (1,858)
Ending balance (in shares)	[4]	126,492,061		126,492,061			126,773,097
Ending balance		$ 694,835		$ 694,835			$ 702,598
Retained Earnings [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance				790,697		1,015,209	1,015,209
Net income (loss)				16,211			99,337
Dividends ($0.50 and $2.03 per share for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and the year ended December 31, 2014, respectively)				(63,380)			(256,861)
Contribution to Rayonier Advanced Materials							(61,318)
Adjustments to Rayonier Advanced Materials	[1]						(5,670)
Ending balance		743,528		743,528			790,697
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance				(4,825)		(46,139)	(46,139)
Contribution to Rayonier Advanced Materials							80,749
Adjustments to Rayonier Advanced Materials	[1]						(2,556)
Net gain (loss) from pension and postretirement plans				1,524			(24,147)
Foreign currency translation adjustment				(28,438)			(11,526)
Joint venture cash flow hedges				(2,511)			(1,206)
Ending balance		(34,250)		(34,250)			(4,825)
Non-controlling Interest [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance				86,681		$ 94,073	94,073
Net income (loss)				(891)			(1,491)
Noncontrolling interest redemption of shares							(931)
Foreign currency translation adjustment				(11,279)			(4,321)
Joint venture cash flow hedges				(1,352)			(649)
Ending balance		73,159		$ 73,159			$ 86,681
Common Shares [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Repurchase of common shares		$ (10,700)
NORTH CAROLINA [Member]
Dividends [Abstract]
Par value (in dollars per share)		$ 0		$ 0

[1] Primarily relates to adjustments made to the Rayonier Advanced Materials contribution as income taxes and pension and postretirement plan assets and obligations were finalized.

[2] During the second quarter the Company repurchased approximately $10.7 million of common stock at an average price of $25.94 per share. As of June 30, 2015, the Company had 126.5 million shares of common stock outstanding and $89.3 million remaining in its share repurchase authorization announced in June 2015.

[3] Includes shares of the Company’s common stock purchased from employees in non-open market transactions. The shares of stock were sold by current and former employees of the Company in exchange for cash that was used to pay withholding taxes associated with the vesting of restricted stock awards under the Company’s stock incentive plan. The price per share surrendered is based on the closing price of the company’s stock on the respective vesting dates of the awards.

[4] The Company’s common shares are registered in North Carolina and have a $0.00 par value.