Earnings Per Common Share - Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Income from continuing operations					$ 8,025	$ 32,059	$ 4,024	$ 10,335	$ 43,941	$ 54,443	$ 105,843
Less: Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interest									(2,224)	(1,491)	1,902
Income from continuing operations attributable to Rayonier Inc.									46,165	55,934	103,941
Income from discontinued operations attributable to Rayonier Inc.									0	43,403	267,955
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.	$ 10,285	$ 19,669	$ (1,536)	$ 17,747	$ 8,857	$ 32,701	$ 16,353	$ 41,426	$ 46,165	$ 99,337	$ 371,896
Shares used for determining basic earnings per common share									125,385,085	126,458,710	125,717,311
Dilutive effect of:
Stock options (in shares)									116,792	323,125	463,949
Performance and restricted shares (in shares)									39,863	149,292	158,319
Assumed conversion of Senior Exchangeable Notes (in shares)									358,449	2,149,982	1,965,177
Assumed conversion of warrants (in shares)									0	1,957,154	1,800,345
Shares used for determining diluted earnings per common share									125,900,189	131,038,263	130,105,101
Basic earnings per common share attributable to Rayonier Inc.:
Continuing Operations (in dollars per share)					$ 0.07	$ 0.26	$ 0.03	$ 0.08	$ 0.37	$ 0.44	$ 0.83
Discontinued Operations (in dollars per share)									0.00	0.34	2.13
Net Income (in dollars per share)	$ 0.08	$ 0.16	$ (0.01)	$ 0.14	0.07	0.26	0.13	0.33	0.37	0.78	2.96
Diluted earnings per common share attributable to Rayonier Inc.:
Continuing Operations (in dollars per share)					0.07	0.25	0.03	0.08	0.37	0.43	0.80
Discontinued Operations (in dollars per share)					0.00	0.00	0.09	0.24	0.00	0.33	2.06
Net income (in dollars per share)	$ 0.08	$ 0.16	$ (0.01)	$ 0.14	$ 0.07	$ 0.25	$ 0.12	$ 0.32	$ 0.37	$ 0.76	$ 2.86