Consolidating Financial Statements - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 85,909	$ 51,777	$ 161,558	$ 199,644
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	20,664	20,222
Inventory	21,379	15,351
Prepaid logging roads	10,228	10,563
Prepaid expenses	1,579	2,091
Assets held for sale (Note 21)	23,171	0
Other current assets	1,874	5,681
Total current assets	164,804	105,685
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,291,015	2,066,780
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	70,374	65,450
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	14,034	6,742
RESTRICTED DEPOSITS (Note 19)	71,708	23,525
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS (Note 20)	73,825	47,756
TOTAL ASSETS	2,685,760	2,315,938
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	22,337	21,479
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,676	0
Accrued taxes	2,657	3,685
Accrued payroll and benefits	9,277	7,037
Accrued interest	5,340	6,153
Other current liabilities	20,679	21,103
Total current liabilities	91,966	59,457
LONG-TERM DEBT	1,030,205	830,554
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	31,856	34,137
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	34,981	30,050
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,411,610	1,288,084
Noncontrolling interest	85,142	73,656
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,496,752	1,361,740	1,575,151	1,755,243
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,685,760	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 logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale (Note 21)	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 INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
RESTRICTED DEPOSITS (Note 19)	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	(4,093,509)	(3,534,086)
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS (Note 20)	0	(1)
TOTAL ASSETS	(4,093,509)	(3,534,086)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	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	0	1
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,093,509)	(3,534,086)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,093,509)	(3,534,086)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,093,509)	(3,534,086)
Rayonier Inc.(Parent Issuer)
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	21,453	2,472	102,218	130,181
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale (Note 21)	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	21,453	2,472
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
RESTRICTED DEPOSITS (Note 19)	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	1,422,081	1,321,681
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	26,472	34,567
OTHER ASSETS (Note 20)	2	3
TOTAL ASSETS	1,470,008	1,358,723
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	609
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,676	0
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	3,047	3,047
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	34,723	3,656
LONG-TERM DEBT	291,390	322,697
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(267,715)	(255,715)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,411,610	1,288,084
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,411,610	1,288,084
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,470,008	1,358,723
Subsidiary Guarantors
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	9,461	13,217	8,105	11,023
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	2,991	1,870
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	427	443
Assets held for sale (Note 21)	0
Other current assets	236	4,876
Total current assets	13,115	20,406
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	177	330
RESTRICTED DEPOSITS (Note 19)	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,671,428	2,212,405
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(611,571)	(610,450)
OTHER ASSETS (Note 20)	46,846	18,718
TOTAL ASSETS	2,119,995	1,641,409
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	1,194	1,463
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	(111)	(10)
Accrued payroll and benefits	5,013	3,594
Accrued interest	2,040	666
Other current liabilities	165	262
Total current liabilities	8,301	5,975
LONG-TERM DEBT	663,343	280,977
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	32,541	34,822
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	12,690	16,914
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(18,961)	(18,960)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,422,081	1,321,681
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,422,081	1,321,681
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,119,995	1,641,409
Non- guarantors
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	54,995	36,088	$ 51,235	$ 58,440
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	17,673	18,352
Inventory	21,379	15,351
Prepaid logging roads	10,228	10,563
Prepaid expenses	1,152	1,648
Assets held for sale (Note 21)	23,171
Other current assets	1,638	805
Total current assets	130,236	82,807
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,291,015	2,066,780
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	70,374	65,450
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	13,857	6,412
RESTRICTED DEPOSITS (Note 19)	71,708	23,525
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	585,099	575,883
OTHER ASSETS (Note 20)	26,977	29,036
TOTAL ASSETS	3,189,266	2,849,892
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	21,143	19,407
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	2,768	3,695
Accrued payroll and benefits	4,264	3,443
Accrued interest	253	2,440
Other current liabilities	20,514	20,841
Total current liabilities	48,942	49,826
LONG-TERM DEBT	75,472	226,879
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(685)	(685)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	22,291	13,136
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	286,676	274,675
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,671,428	2,212,405
Noncontrolling interest	85,142	73,656
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,756,570	2,286,061
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 3,189,266	$ 2,849,892