Consolidating Financial Statements - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flow (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		$ 203,801	$ 177,164	$ 320,416
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(58,723)	(57,293)	(63,713)
Capital expenditures from discontinued operations		0	0	(60,955)
Real estate development investments		(8,746)	(2,676)	(3,674)
Purchase of timberlands		(366,481)	(98,409)	(130,896)
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative		0	2,804	0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		(887)	0	0
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions		203,862	0
Rayonier office building under construction		(6,307)	(908)	0
Change in restricted cash		(48,184)	(16,836)	62,256
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0	0
Other		2,311	7,009	306
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(283,155)	(166,309)	(196,676)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		695,916	472,558	1,426,464
Repayment of debt		(458,415)	(364,402)	(1,289,637)
Dividends paid	$ (63,200)	(122,845)	(124,936)	(257,517)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares		1,576	2,117	5,579
Proceeds from repurchase of common shares		(690)	(100,000)	(1,858)
Debt issuance costs		(818)	(1,678)	(12,380)
Net cash disbursed upon spin-off of Performance Fibers business		0	0	(31,420)
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0	0
Intercompany distributions		0	0	0
Other		(301)	(122)	(680)
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES		114,423	(116,463)	(161,449)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		(937)	(4,173)	(377)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents		34,132	(109,781)	(38,086)
Balance, beginning of year		51,777	161,558	199,644
Balance, end of year		85,909	51,777	161,558
Consolidating Adjustments
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		0	0	(290,157)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		0	0	0
Capital expenditures from discontinued operations				0
Real estate development investments		0	0	0
Purchase of timberlands		0	0	0
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative			0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions		0
Rayonier office building under construction		0	0
Change in restricted cash		0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries		293,820	(126,242)	(798,875)
Other		0	(1)	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		293,820	(126,243)	(798,875)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0	0	0
Repayment of debt		0	0	0
Dividends paid		0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares		0	0	0
Proceeds from repurchase of common shares		0	0	0
Debt issuance costs		0	0	0
Net cash disbursed upon spin-off of Performance Fibers business				0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0	0
Intercompany distributions		(293,820)	126,242	1,089,032
Other		0	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(293,820)	126,242	1,089,032
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents		0	0	0
Balance, beginning of year		0	0	0
Balance, end of year		0	0	0
Rayonier Inc.(Parent Issuer)
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		(7,480)	(4,890)	269,653
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		0	0	0
Capital expenditures from discontinued operations				0
Real estate development investments		0	0	0
Purchase of timberlands		0	0	0
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative			0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions		0
Rayonier office building under construction		0	0
Change in restricted cash		0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0	0
Other		0	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		0	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0	61,000	0
Repayment of debt		0	(61,000)	0
Dividends paid		(122,845)	(124,936)	(257,517)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares		1,576	2,117	5,579
Proceeds from repurchase of common shares		(690)	(100,000)	(1,858)
Debt issuance costs		0	0	0
Net cash disbursed upon spin-off of Performance Fibers business				(31,420)
Issuance of intercompany notes		(12,000)	(35,500)	(12,400)
Intercompany distributions		160,597	163,585	0
Other		(177)	(122)	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES		26,461	(94,856)	(297,616)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents		18,981	(99,746)	(27,963)
Balance, beginning of year		2,472	102,218	130,181
Balance, end of year		21,453	2,472	102,218
Subsidiary Guarantors
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		113,775	(21,421)	293,193
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		0	(78)	(400)
Capital expenditures from discontinued operations				0
Real estate development investments		0	0	0
Purchase of timberlands		0	0	0
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative			0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions		0
Rayonier office building under construction		0	0
Change in restricted cash		0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries		(293,820)	126,242	798,875
Other		0	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(293,820)	126,164	798,475
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		548,000	353,000	201,000
Repayment of debt		(140,000)	(232,973)	(1,002,500)
Dividends paid		0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares		0	0	0
Proceeds from repurchase of common shares		0	0	0
Debt issuance costs		(818)	(1,678)	0
Net cash disbursed upon spin-off of Performance Fibers business				0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0	0
Intercompany distributions		(230,893)	(217,980)	(293,086)
Other		0	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES		176,289	(99,631)	(1,094,586)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents		(3,756)	5,112	(2,918)
Balance, beginning of year		13,217	8,105	11,023
Balance, end of year		9,461	13,217	8,105
Non- guarantors
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		97,506	203,475	47,727
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(58,723)	(57,215)	(63,313)
Capital expenditures from discontinued operations				(60,955)
Real estate development investments		(8,746)	(2,676)	(3,674)
Purchase of timberlands		(366,481)	(98,409)	(130,896)
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative			2,804
Assets purchased in business acquisition		(887)
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions		203,862
Rayonier office building under construction		(6,307)	(908)
Change in restricted cash		(48,184)	(16,836)	62,256
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0	0
Other		2,311	7,010	306
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(283,155)	(166,230)	(196,276)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		147,916	58,558	1,225,464
Repayment of debt		(318,415)	(70,429)	(287,137)
Dividends paid		0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares		0	0	0
Proceeds from repurchase of common shares		0	0	0
Debt issuance costs		0	0	(12,380)
Net cash disbursed upon spin-off of Performance Fibers business				0
Issuance of intercompany notes		12,000	35,500	12,400
Intercompany distributions		364,116	(71,847)	(795,946)
Other		(124)	0	(680)
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES		205,493	(48,218)	141,721
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		(937)	(4,173)	(377)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents		18,907	(15,147)	(7,205)
Balance, beginning of year		36,088	51,235	58,440
Balance, end of year		$ 54,995	$ 36,088	$ 51,235