CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 33,943	$ 31,035
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(14,362)	(13,298)
Real estate development costs	(2,185)	(1,685)
Purchase of timberlands	(11,293)	(14,323)
Net proceeds from large disposition	42,034	0
Rayonier office building under construction	(2,604)	(186)
Change in restricted cash	(39,568)	10,613
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	(5,617)	(1,404)
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(33,595)	(20,283)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	29,719	285,552
Repayment of debt	(20,530)	(240,752)
Dividends paid	(30,618)	(30,675)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	2,251	18
Issuance of shares under equity offering	152,345	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	(690)
Intercompany distributions	0	0
Other	0	(16)
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	133,167	13,437
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	(67)	238
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	133,448	24,427
Balance, beginning of year	85,909	51,777
Balance, end of period	219,357	76,204
Consolidating Adjustments
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	0	0
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0
Rayonier office building under construction	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(2,636)	(1,136)
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(2,636)	(1,136)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Issuance of shares under equity offering	0
Repurchase of common shares		0
Intercompany distributions	2,636	1,136
Other		0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	2,636	1,136
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	(1,192)	2,332
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0
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	(30,618)	(30,675)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	2,251	18
Issuance of shares under equity offering	152,345
Repurchase of common shares		(690)
Intercompany distributions	13,677	35,332
Other		(16)
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	137,655	3,969
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	136,463	6,301
Balance, beginning of year	21,453	2,472
Balance, end of period	157,916	8,773
Subsidiary Guarantors
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	36,931	(3,624)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0
Rayonier office building under construction	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	2,636	1,136
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	2,636	1,136
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	15,000	213,000
Repayment of debt	(15,000)	(25,000)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Issuance of shares under equity offering	0
Repurchase of common shares		0
Intercompany distributions	(30,504)	(170,861)
Other		0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(30,504)	17,139
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	9,063	14,651
Balance, beginning of year	9,461	13,217
Balance, end of period	18,524	27,868
Non- guarantors
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(1,796)	32,327
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(14,362)	(13,298)
Real estate development costs	(2,185)	(1,685)
Purchase of timberlands	(11,293)	(14,323)
Net proceeds from large disposition	42,034
Rayonier office building under construction	(2,604)	(186)
Change in restricted cash	(39,568)	10,613
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	(5,617)	(1,404)
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(33,595)	(20,283)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	14,719	72,552
Repayment of debt	(5,530)	(215,752)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Issuance of shares under equity offering	0
Repurchase of common shares		0
Intercompany distributions	14,191	134,393
Other		0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	23,380	(8,807)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	(67)	238
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(12,078)	3,475
Balance, beginning of year	54,995	36,088
Balance, end of period	$ 42,917	$ 39,563