CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 128,315	$ 76,979
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(29,840)	(26,180)
Real estate development costs	(5,599)	(3,018)
Purchase of timberlands	(237,235)	(276,614)
Assets purchased in business acquisition	0	(1,113)
Net proceeds from large disposition	42,029	126,965
Rayonier office building under construction	(5,573)	(1,155)
Change in restricted cash	59,927	17,985
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	1,033	(2,066)
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(175,258)	(165,196)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	63,389	653,775
Repayment of debt	(60,422)	(426,173)
Dividends paid	(62,825)	(61,409)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	3,206	644
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering	152,390	0
Debt issuance costs	0	(818)
Repurchase of common shares	0	(690)
Intercompany distributions	0	0
Other	0	(139)
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	95,738	165,190
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	1,855	904
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	50,650	77,877
Balance, beginning of year	85,909	51,777
Balance, end of period	136,559	129,654
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
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0	0
Rayonier office building under construction	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,932)	(262,505)
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(6,932)	(262,505)
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
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering	0
Debt issuance costs		0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Intercompany distributions	6,932	262,505
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	6,932	262,505
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) | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(7,648)	(4,055)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0	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	(62,825)	(61,409)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	3,206	644
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering	152,390
Debt issuance costs		0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Intercompany distributions	(25,419)	137,844
Other	0	(139)
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	67,352	76,940
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	59,704	72,885
Balance, beginning of year	21,453	2,472
Balance, end of period	81,157	75,357
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	59,557	(7,193)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from large disposition	0	0
Rayonier office building under construction	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	6,932	262,505
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	6,932	262,505
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	25,000	518,000
Repayment of debt	(15,000)	(135,000)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering	0
Debt issuance costs		(818)
Repurchase of common shares	0	(690)
Intercompany distributions	(73,365)	(638,434)
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(63,365)	(256,942)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	3,124	(1,630)
Balance, beginning of year	9,461	13,217
Balance, end of period	12,585	11,587
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	76,406	88,227
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(29,840)	(26,180)
Real estate development costs	(5,599)	(3,018)
Purchase of timberlands	(237,235)	(276,614)
Assets purchased in business acquisition		(1,113)
Net proceeds from large disposition	42,029	126,965
Rayonier office building under construction	(5,573)	(1,155)
Change in restricted cash	59,927	17,985
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	1,033	(2,066)
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(175,258)	(165,196)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	38,389	135,775
Repayment of debt	(45,422)	(291,173)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering	0
Debt issuance costs		0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Intercompany distributions	91,852	238,085
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	84,819	82,687
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	1,855	904
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(12,178)	6,622
Balance, beginning of year	54,995	36,088
Balance, end of period	$ 42,817	$ 42,710