CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 136,559	$ 85,909	$ 129,654	$ 51,777
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	30,181	20,664
Insurance settlement receivable	73,000	0
Inventory	26,363	21,379
Prepaid expenses	14,727	11,807
Assets held for sale	0	23,171
Other current assets	4,397	1,874
Total current assets	285,227	164,804
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,509,485	2,291,015
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	74,888	70,374
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	21,560	14,034
RESTRICTED CASH	11,781	71,708
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	49,853	73,825
TOTAL ASSETS	2,952,794	2,685,760
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	28,696	22,337
Insurance settlement payable	73,000	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,525	31,676
Accrued taxes	5,374	2,657
Accrued payroll and benefits	5,092	9,277
Accrued interest	5,225	5,340
Other current liabilities	29,716	20,679
Total current liabilities	178,628	91,966
Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs	1,033,621	1,030,205
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	31,589	31,856
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	40,846	34,981
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,571,720	1,411,610
Noncontrolling interest	96,390	85,142
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,668,110	1,496,752		1,361,740
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,952,794	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
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	(4,329,243)	(4,093,509)
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(4,329,243)	(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	(4,329,243)	(4,093,509)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,329,243)	(4,093,509)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,329,243)	(4,093,509)
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	81,157	21,453	75,357	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
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	154,157	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	1,516,570	1,422,081
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	32,573	26,472
OTHER ASSETS	2	2
TOTAL ASSETS	1,703,302	1,470,008
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Insurance settlement payable	73,000
Current maturities of long-term debt	31,525	31,676
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	3,047	3,047
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	107,572	34,723
Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs	291,725	291,390
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(267,715)	(267,715)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,571,720	1,411,610
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,571,720	1,411,610
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,703,302	1,470,008
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	12,585	9,461	11,587	13,217
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	1,911	2,991
Insurance settlement receivable	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	1,848	427
Assets held for sale		0
Other current assets	14	236
Total current assets	16,358	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	105	177
RESTRICTED CASH	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,812,673	2,671,428
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(622,196)	(611,571)
OTHER ASSETS	7,452	46,846
TOTAL ASSETS	2,214,392	2,119,995
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	2,186	1,194
Insurance settlement payable	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	(41)	(111)
Accrued payroll and benefits	2,460	5,013
Accrued interest	1,940	2,040
Other current liabilities	647	165
Total current liabilities	7,192	8,301
Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs	663,473	663,343
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	32,274	32,541
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	13,844	12,690
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(18,961)	(18,961)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,516,570	1,422,081
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,516,570	1,422,081
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,214,392	2,119,995
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	42,817	54,995	$ 42,710	$ 36,088
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	28,270	17,673
Insurance settlement receivable	0
Inventory	26,363	21,379
Prepaid expenses	12,879	11,380
Assets held for sale		23,171
Other current assets	4,383	1,638
Total current assets	114,712	130,236
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,509,485	2,291,015
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	74,888	70,374
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	21,455	13,857
RESTRICTED CASH	11,781	71,708
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	589,623	585,099
OTHER ASSETS	42,399	26,977
TOTAL ASSETS	3,364,343	3,189,266
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	26,510	21,143
Insurance settlement payable	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	5,415	2,768
Accrued payroll and benefits	2,632	4,264
Accrued interest	238	253
Other current liabilities	29,069	20,514
Total current liabilities	63,864	48,942
Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs	78,423	75,472
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(685)	(685)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	27,002	22,291
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	286,676	286,676
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,812,673	2,671,428
Noncontrolling interest	96,390	85,142
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,909,063	2,756,570
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 3,364,343	$ 3,189,266