CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 76,979	$ 85,883
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(26,180)	(25,318)
Real estate development costs	(3,018)	(926)
Purchase of timberlands	(276,614)	(88,414)
Assets purchased in business acquisition	1,113	0
Net proceeds from large disposition	126,965	0
One Rayonier office building under construction	(1,155)	(261)
Change in restricted cash	17,985	4,160
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	(2,066)	3,486
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(165,196)	(107,273)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	653,775	59,100
Repayment of debt	(426,173)	(31,472)
Dividends paid	(61,409)	(63,421)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	644	718
Repurchase of common shares	(690)	(8,962)
Debt issuance costs	818	0
Intercompany distributions	0	0
Other	(139)	(95)
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES	165,190	(44,132)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	904	(4,404)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	77,877	(69,926)
Balance, beginning of year	51,777	161,558
Balance, end of period	129,654	91,632
Consolidating Adjustments
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	0	14,135
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Assets purchased in business acquisition	0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0
One Rayonier office building under construction	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(262,505)	(8,753)
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(262,505)	(8,753)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0
Intercompany distributions	262,505	(5,382)
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES	262,505	(5,382)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Balance, beginning of year	0	0
Balance, end of period	0	0
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer)
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(4,055)	(25,092)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Assets purchased in business acquisition	0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0
One Rayonier office building under construction	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Dividends paid	(61,409)	(63,421)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	644	718
Repurchase of common shares	0	(8,962)
Debt issuance costs	0
Intercompany distributions	137,844	0
Other	(139)	(95)
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES	76,940	(71,760)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	72,885	(96,852)
Balance, beginning of year	2,472	102,218
Balance, end of period	75,357	5,366
Subsidiary Guarantors
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(7,193)	(13,561)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	(134)
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Assets purchased in business acquisition	0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0
One Rayonier office building under construction	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	262,505	8,753
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	262,505	8,619
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	518,000	57,000
Repayment of debt	(135,000)	(28,000)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	(690)	0
Debt issuance costs	818
Intercompany distributions	(638,434)	13,778
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(256,942)	42,778
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(1,630)	37,836
Balance, beginning of year	13,217	8,105
Balance, end of period	11,587	45,941
Non- guarantors
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	88,227	110,401
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(26,180)	(25,184)
Real estate development costs	(3,018)	(926)
Purchase of timberlands	(276,614)	(88,414)
Assets purchased in business acquisition	1,113
Net proceeds from large disposition	126,965
One Rayonier office building under construction	(1,155)	(261)
Change in restricted cash	17,985	4,160
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	(2,066)	3,486
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(165,196)	(107,139)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	135,775	2,100
Repayment of debt	(291,173)	(3,472)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0
Intercompany distributions	238,085	(8,396)
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES	82,687	(9,768)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	904	(4,404)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	6,622	(10,910)
Balance, beginning of year	36,088	51,235
Balance, end of period	$ 42,710	$ 40,325