CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 219,357	$ 85,909	$ 76,204	$ 51,777
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	33,434	20,664
Insurance settlement receivable	73,000	0
Inventory	27,155	21,379
Prepaid expenses	14,723	11,807
Assets held for sale	9,006	23,171
Other current assets	8,247	1,874
Total current assets	384,922	164,804
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,280,814	2,291,015
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	73,713	70,374
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	16,849	14,034
RESTRICTED CASH	111,276	71,708
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	51,336	73,825
TOTAL ASSETS	2,918,910	2,685,760
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	30,956	22,337
Insurance settlement payable	73,740	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	42,926	31,676
Accrued taxes	3,348	2,657
Accrued payroll and benefits	3,079	9,277
Accrued interest	8,321	5,340
Other current liabilities	20,572	20,679
Total current liabilities	182,942	91,966
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	1,028,068	1,030,205
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	31,718	31,856
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	28,888	34,981
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,560,500	1,411,610
Noncontrolling interest	86,794	85,142
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,647,294	1,496,752		1,361,740
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,918,910	2,685,760
Consolidating Adjustments
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Insurance settlement receivable	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	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
RESTRICTED CASH	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	(4,150,942)	(4,093,509)
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(4,150,942)	(4,093,509)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Insurance settlement payable	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, 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	(4,150,942)	(4,093,509)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,150,942)	(4,093,509)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,150,942)	(4,093,509)
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer)
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	157,916	21,453	8,773	2,472
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Insurance settlement receivable	73,000
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	230,916	21,453
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
RESTRICTED CASH	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	1,434,995	1,422,081
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	29,866	26,472
OTHER ASSETS	2	2
TOTAL ASSETS	1,695,779	1,470,008
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Insurance settlement payable	73,740
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,601	31,676
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	6,094	3,047
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	111,435	34,723
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	291,557	291,390
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(267,713)	(267,715)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,560,500	1,411,610
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,560,500	1,411,610
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,695,779	1,470,008
Subsidiary Guarantors
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	18,524	9,461	27,868	13,217
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	946	2,991
Insurance settlement receivable	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	1,839	427
Assets held for sale	0	0
Other current assets	20	236
Total current assets	21,329	13,115
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	141	177
RESTRICTED CASH	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,715,947	2,671,428
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(615,867)	(611,571)
OTHER ASSETS	10,780	46,846
TOTAL ASSETS	2,132,330	2,119,995
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	4,990	1,194
Insurance settlement payable	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	28	(111)
Accrued payroll and benefits	1,423	5,013
Accrued interest	1,973	2,040
Other current liabilities	473	165
Total current liabilities	8,887	8,301
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	663,425	663,343
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	32,402	32,541
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	11,584	12,690
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(18,963)	(18,961)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,434,995	1,422,081
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,434,995	1,422,081
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,132,330	2,119,995
Non- guarantors
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	42,917	54,995	$ 39,563	$ 36,088
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	32,488	17,673
Insurance settlement receivable	0
Inventory	27,155	21,379
Prepaid expenses	12,884	11,380
Assets held for sale	9,006	23,171
Other current assets	8,227	1,638
Total current assets	132,677	130,236
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,280,814	2,291,015
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	73,713	70,374
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	16,708	13,857
RESTRICTED CASH	111,276	71,708
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	586,001	585,099
OTHER ASSETS	40,554	26,977
TOTAL ASSETS	3,241,743	3,189,266
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	25,966	21,143
Insurance settlement payable	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	11,325	0
Accrued taxes	3,320	2,768
Accrued payroll and benefits	1,656	4,264
Accrued interest	254	253
Other current liabilities	20,099	20,514
Total current liabilities	62,620	48,942
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	73,086	75,472
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(684)	(685)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	17,304	22,291
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	286,676	286,676
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,715,947	2,671,428
Noncontrolling interest	86,794	85,142
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,802,741	2,756,570
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 3,241,743	$ 3,189,266