Consolidating Financial Statements - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ 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
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	$ 137,111	$ 151,657	$ 115,801	$ 140,305	$ 147,360	$ 149,829	$ 163,145	$ 143,187	$ 544,874	$ 603,521	$ 659,718
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	114,132	116,044	103,689	107,234	126,776	118,088	123,096	115,900	441,099	483,860	530,772
Selling and general expenses									45,750	47,883	55,433
Other operating income, net									(19,759)	(26,511)	(18,487)
Costs and Expenses, Total									467,090	505,232	567,718
Equity in income of New Zealand joint venture									0	0	562
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN RELATED TO CONSOLIDATION OF NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE									77,784	98,289	92,562
Gain related to consolidation of New Zealand joint venture									0	0	16,098
OPERATING INCOME									77,784	98,289	108,660
Interest expense									(31,699)	(44,248)	(40,941)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net									(3,003)	(9,199)	2,439
Equity in income from subsidiaries									0	0	0
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES									43,082	44,842	70,158
Income tax (expense) benefit									859	9,601	35,685
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS					8,025	32,059	4,024	10,335	43,941	54,443	105,843
Income from discontinued operations, net of income tax expense of $0, $20,578 and $106,397					311	0	12,084	31,008		43,403	267,955
NET INCOME	9,440	19,181	(2,860)	18,180	8,336	32,059	16,108	41,343	43,941	97,846	373,798
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest									(2,224)	(1,491)	1,902
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
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax expense (benefit) of $1,066, ($78) and $0									(32,451)	(15,847)	(5,710)
New Zealand joint venture cash flow hedges									(9,961)	(1,855)	3,629
Net gain from pension and postretirement plans									2,933	54,046	61,869
Total other comprehensive income									(39,479)	36,344	59,788
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME									4,462	134,190	433,586
Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest									(13,027)	(6,462)	(1,550)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									17,489	140,652	435,136
Rayonier Inc.(Parent Issuer)
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES									0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Selling and general expenses									0	0	0
Other operating income, net									0	0	(1,701)
Costs and Expenses, Total									0	0	(1,701)
Equity in income of New Zealand joint venture											0
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN RELATED TO CONSOLIDATION OF NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE											1,701
Gain related to consolidation of New Zealand joint venture											0
OPERATING INCOME									0	0	1,701
Interest expense									(12,703)	(13,247)	(13,088)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net									7,789	9,186	9,828
Equity in income from subsidiaries									51,079	103,398	373,455
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES									46,165	99,337	371,896
Income tax (expense) benefit									0	0	0
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS										99,337	371,896
Income from discontinued operations, net of income tax expense of $0, $20,578 and $106,397										0	0
NET INCOME									46,165	99,337	371,896
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0	0
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									46,165	99,337	371,896
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax expense (benefit) of $1,066, ($78) and $0									(21,567)	(11,525)	(1,915)
New Zealand joint venture cash flow hedges									(10,042)	(1,206)	3,286
Net gain from pension and postretirement plans									2,933	54,046	61,869
Total other comprehensive income									(28,676)	41,315	63,240
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME									17,489	140,652	435,136
Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0	0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									17,489	140,652	435,136
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% | Consolidating Adjustments
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES									0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Selling and general expenses									0	0	0
Other operating income, net									0	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total									0	0	0
Equity in income of New Zealand joint venture											0
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN RELATED TO CONSOLIDATION OF NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE											0
Gain related to consolidation of New Zealand joint venture											0
OPERATING INCOME									0	0	0
Interest expense									0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net									0	0	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries									(126,611)	(242,117)	(781,177)
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES									(126,611)	(242,117)	(781,177)
Income tax (expense) benefit									0	0	0
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS										(242,117)	(781,177)
Income from discontinued operations, net of income tax expense of $0, $20,578 and $106,397										0	0
NET INCOME									(126,611)	(242,117)	(781,177)
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0	0
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									(126,611)	(242,117)	(781,177)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax expense (benefit) of $1,066, ($78) and $0									21,567	23,052	3,830
New Zealand joint venture cash flow hedges									10,042	2,412	(6,572)
Net gain from pension and postretirement plans									(2,933)	(142,220)	(82,458)
Total other comprehensive income									28,676	(116,756)	(85,200)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME									(97,935)	(358,873)	(866,377)
Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0	0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									(97,935)	(358,873)	(866,377)
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% | Subsidiary Guarantors
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES									0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Selling and general expenses									20,468	14,578	9,821
Other operating income, net									(404)	3,275	4,730
Costs and Expenses, Total									20,064	17,853	14,551
Equity in income of New Zealand joint venture											0
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN RELATED TO CONSOLIDATION OF NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE											(14,551)
Gain related to consolidation of New Zealand joint venture											0
OPERATING INCOME									(20,064)	(17,853)	(14,551)
Interest expense									(9,135)	(23,571)	(28,430)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net									2,612	(3,100)	(4,297)
Equity in income from subsidiaries									75,532	138,719	407,722
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES									48,945	94,195	360,444
Income tax (expense) benefit									2,134	9,203	13,011
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS										103,398	373,455
Income from discontinued operations, net of income tax expense of $0, $20,578 and $106,397										0	0
NET INCOME									51,079	103,398	373,455
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0	0
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									51,079	103,398	373,455
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax expense (benefit) of $1,066, ($78) and $0									7,922	(11,527)	(1,915)
New Zealand joint venture cash flow hedges									(10,195)	(1,206)	3,286
Net gain from pension and postretirement plans									2,933	54,046	61,869
Total other comprehensive income									660	41,313	63,240
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME									51,739	144,711	436,695
Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest									0	0	0
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									51,739	144,711	436,695
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% | Non- guarantors
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES									544,874	603,521	659,718
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales									441,099	483,860	530,772
Selling and general expenses									25,282	33,305	45,612
Other operating income, net									(19,355)	(29,786)	(21,516)
Costs and Expenses, Total									447,026	487,379	554,868
Equity in income of New Zealand joint venture											562
OPERATING INCOME BEFORE GAIN RELATED TO CONSOLIDATION OF NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE											105,412
Gain related to consolidation of New Zealand joint venture											16,098
OPERATING INCOME									97,848	116,142	121,510
Interest expense									(9,861)	(7,430)	577
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net									(13,404)	(15,285)	(3,092)
Equity in income from subsidiaries									0	0	0
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES									74,583	93,427	118,995
Income tax (expense) benefit									(1,275)	398	22,674
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS										93,825	141,669
Income from discontinued operations, net of income tax expense of $0, $20,578 and $106,397										43,403	267,955
NET INCOME									73,308	137,228	409,624
Less: Net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interest									(2,224)	(1,491)	1,902
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									75,532	138,719	407,722
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax expense (benefit) of $1,066, ($78) and $0									(40,373)	(15,847)	(5,710)
New Zealand joint venture cash flow hedges									234	(1,855)	3,629
Net gain from pension and postretirement plans									0	88,174	20,589
Total other comprehensive income									(40,139)	70,472	18,508
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME									33,169	207,700	428,132
Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest									(13,027)	(6,462)	(1,550)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO RAYONIER INC.									$ 46,196	$ 214,162	$ 429,682