CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 110,039	$ 51,777	$ 65,755	$ 161,558
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	24,731	20,222
Inventory	16,064	15,351
Prepaid expenses	12,564	12,654
Assets held for sale (Note 18)	47,361	0
Other current assets	3,369	5,681
Total current assets	214,128	105,685
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,325,489	2,066,780
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	70,324	65,450
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	11,076	6,742
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	50,381	71,281
TOTAL ASSETS	2,671,398	2,315,938
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	23,735	21,479
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,752	0
Accrued taxes	6,892	3,685
Accrued payroll and benefits	6,224	7,037
Accrued interest	8,313	6,153
Other current liabilities	23,227	21,103
Total current liabilities	100,143	59,457
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	1,033,288	830,554
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	34,702	34,137
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	54,684	30,050
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,361,185	1,288,084
Noncontrolling interest	87,396	73,656
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,448,581	1,361,740		1,575,151
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,671,398	2,315,938
Consolidating Adjustments
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale (Note 18)	0
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	(3,983,472)	(3,534,086)
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(3,983,472)	(3,534,086)
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	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	0	0
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(3,983,472)	(3,534,086)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(3,983,472)	(3,534,086)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(3,983,472)	(3,534,086)
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer)
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	59,966	2,472	12,955	102,218
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale (Note 18)	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	59,966	2,472
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	1,339,173	1,321,681
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	23,396	34,567
OTHER ASSETS	3	3
TOTAL ASSETS	1,422,538	1,358,723
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	609
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,752
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	6,094	3,047
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	37,846	3,656
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	291,222	322,697
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(267,715)	(255,714)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,361,185	1,288,084
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,361,185	1,288,084
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,422,538	1,358,723
Subsidiary Guarantors
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	5,320	13,217	10,760	8,105
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	2,050	1,870
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	985	443
Assets held for sale (Note 18)	0
Other current assets	242	4,876
Total current assets	8,597	20,406
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	213	330
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,644,299	2,212,405
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(606,285)	(610,450)
OTHER ASSETS	21,937	18,718
TOTAL ASSETS	2,068,761	1,641,409
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	2,106	1,463
Current maturities of long-term debt	0
Accrued taxes	(149)	(10)
Accrued payroll and benefits	3,115	3,594
Accrued interest	1,960	666
Other current liabilities	372	262
Total current liabilities	7,404	5,975
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	663,292	280,978
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	35,386	34,822
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	42,466	16,914
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(18,960)	(18,961)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,339,173	1,321,681
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,339,173	1,321,681
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,068,761	1,641,409
Non- guarantors
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	44,753	36,088	$ 42,040	$ 51,235
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	22,681	18,352
Inventory	16,064	15,351
Prepaid expenses	11,579	12,211
Assets held for sale (Note 18)	47,361
Other current assets	3,127	805
Total current assets	145,565	82,807
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,325,489	2,066,780
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	70,324	65,450
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	10,863	6,412
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	582,889	575,883
OTHER ASSETS	28,441	52,560
TOTAL ASSETS	3,163,571	2,849,892
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	21,629	19,407
Current maturities of long-term debt	0
Accrued taxes	7,041	3,695
Accrued payroll and benefits	3,109	3,443
Accrued interest	259	2,440
Other current liabilities	22,855	20,841
Total current liabilities	54,893	49,826
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	78,774	226,879
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(684)	(685)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	12,218	13,136
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	286,675	274,675
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,644,299	2,212,405
Noncontrolling interest	87,396	73,656
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,731,695	2,286,061
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 3,163,571	$ 2,849,892