CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 65,755	$ 161,558	$ 182,831	$ 199,644
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	19,296	24,018
Inventory	14,506	8,383
Prepaid and other current assets	24,066	19,745
Total current assets	123,623	213,704
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,038,032	2,088,501
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	67,274	77,433
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	6,157	6,706
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	79,374	66,771
TOTAL ASSETS	2,314,460	2,453,115
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	19,301	20,211
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	129,706
Accrued taxes	17,238	11,405
Accrued payroll and benefits	5,673	6,390
Accrued interest	8,943	8,433
Other current liabilities	30,200	25,857
Total current liabilities	81,355	202,002
LONG-TERM DEBT	791,233	621,849
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	33,599	33,477
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	32,056	20,636
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,308,420	1,488,470
Noncontrolling interest	67,797	86,681
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,376,217	1,575,151		1,755,243
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,314,460	2,453,115
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Guarantor) [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	12,955	102,218	84,283	130,181
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	12,955	102,218
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	$ 0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS		0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	$ 0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	1,357,910	1,463,303
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	266,149	248,233
OTHER ASSETS	2,396	2,763
TOTAL ASSETS	1,639,410	1,816,517
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt		0
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	5,990	3,047
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	5,990	3,047
LONG-TERM DEBT	325,000	325,000
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,308,420	1,488,470
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,308,420	1,488,470
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,639,410	1,816,517
ROC (Subsidiary Guarantor) [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	10,760	8,105	51,488	11,023
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	143	1,409
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	11,124	2,009
Total current assets	22,027	11,523
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	377	433
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,213,466	2,053,911
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(2,914)	21,500
OTHER ASSETS	24,599	18,369
TOTAL ASSETS	2,257,555	2,105,736
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	1,437	2,810
Current maturities of long-term debt		129,706
Accrued taxes	13	11
Accrued payroll and benefits	3,181	3,253
Accrued interest	500	2,517
Other current liabilities	14,031	1,073
Total current liabilities	19,162	139,370
LONG-TERM DEBT	252,000	31,000
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	34,283	34,161
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	20,288	6,436
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	573,912	431,466
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,357,910	1,463,303
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,357,910	1,463,303
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,257,555	2,105,736
Non-guarantors [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	42,040	51,235	47,060	58,440
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	19,153	22,609
Inventory	14,506	8,383
Prepaid and other current assets	12,942	17,736
Total current assets	88,641	99,963
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,038,032	2,088,501
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	67,274	77,433
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	5,780	6,273
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	52,379	45,639
TOTAL ASSETS	2,252,106	2,317,809
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	17,864	17,401
Current maturities of long-term debt		0
Accrued taxes	17,225	11,394
Accrued payroll and benefits	2,492	3,137
Accrued interest	37,782	31,281
Other current liabilities	16,169	24,784
Total current liabilities	91,532	87,997
LONG-TERM DEBT	214,233	265,849
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(684)	(684)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	11,768	14,200
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(257,486)	(153,754)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,124,946	2,017,520
Noncontrolling interest	67,797	86,681
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,192,743	2,104,201
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,252,106	2,317,809
Consolidation Adjustments [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	(3,571,376)	(3,517,214)
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(263,235)	(269,733)
OTHER ASSETS	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(3,834,611)	(3,786,947)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt		0
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	(35,329)	(28,412)
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(35,329)	(28,412)
LONG-TERM DEBT	0	0
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(316,426)	(277,712)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(3,482,856)	(3,480,823)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(3,482,856)	(3,480,823)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ (3,834,611)	$ (3,786,947)