BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	9 Months Ended
BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	BASIS OF PRESENTATION The unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of Rayonier Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Rayonier” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of management, these financial statements and notes reflect all adjustments (all of which are normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations, financial position and cash flows for the periods presented. These statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and supplementary data included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the SEC (the “2016 Form 10-K”).
Investment in Real Estate	Investment in Real Estate The Company capitalizes costs directly and indirectly associated with development of identified real estate projects. Direct costs include land and common development costs (such as roads, utilities and amenities), and capitalized property taxes. Indirect costs include administration, legal fees, capitalized interest, and project administration to the extent that such costs are related to a specific project. Interest is capitalized based on the amount of underlying expenditures of real estate projects under development.
Revenue Recognition for Real Estate Sales	Revenue Recognition for Real Estate Sales The Company generally recognizes revenue on sales of real estate using the full accrual method at closing, when cash has been received, title and risk of loss have passed to the buyer and there is no continuing involvement with the property. Revenue is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method on sales of real estate containing future performance obligations. Cost of sales associated with real estate sold includes the cost of the land, the cost of any timber on the property that was conveyed to the buyer, any real estate development costs and any closing costs including sales commissions that may be borne by the Company. When developed residential or commercial land is sold, the cost of sales includes actual costs incurred and estimates of future development costs benefiting the property sold through completion. When developed land is sold, costs are allocated to each sold unit or lot based upon the relative sales value. For purposes of allocating development costs, estimates of future revenues and development costs are re-evaluated periodically throughout the year, with adjustments being allocated prospectively to the remaining units available for sale.
Recently Adopted Standards	Recently Adopted Standards In October 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory, stating entities should recognize income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory in the period in which they occur. As such, the Company is required to apply the changes on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. ASU No. 2016-16 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted at the beginning of an annual period for which financial statements have not been issued. Rayonier early adopted ASU No. 2016-16 during the first quarter ended March 31, 2017. See Note 7 — Income Taxes for additional information. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This update simplifies the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. ASU No. 2016-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. Rayonier adopted ASU No. 2016-09 during the first quarter ended March 31, 2017. Upon adoption, additional excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are recorded to “Income tax expense” in the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income, forfeitures are accounted for when they occur and cash paid by Rayonier when directly withholding shares for tax withholding purposes are classified as a financing activity within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
New Accounting Standards	New Accounting Standards In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, which requires that an employer report the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in the Consolidated Statements of Income in the same line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. Additionally, the other components of net periodic benefit cost (interest cost, expected return on plan assets and amortization of losses or gains) are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations. If a separate line item is used to present the other components of net benefit cost, that line item must be appropriately described. If a separate line item is not used, the line item used in the income statement to present the other components of net benefit cost must be disclosed. ASU No. 2017-07 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods. ASU No. 2017-07 is required to be applied retrospectively to all periods presented beginning in the period of adoption. Rayonier intends to adopt ASU No. 2017-07 in the Company’s first quarter 2018 Form 10-Q. Interest cost, expected return on plan assets and amortization of losses or gains are currently recorded in “Selling and general expenses” and “Cost of sales” in the Consolidated Statements of Income and “Timber and timberlands, net of depletion and amortization” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Upon adoption, these components of net period benefit cost will be recorded in “Interest income and miscellaneous income (expense), net.” As the Company froze benefits for all employees participating in the pension plan effective December 31, 2016, the service cost component of net period benefit is no longer recognized by Rayonier. Based on current actuarial estimates and management assumptions, Rayonier anticipates that the adoption of this standard will not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. See Note 13 — Employee Benefit Plans for the components of net periodic benefit cost. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash, which requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. ASU No. 2016-18 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods. ASU No. 2016-18 is required to be applied retrospectively to all periods presented beginning in the period of adoption. Rayonier intends to adopt ASU No. 2016-18 in the Company’s first quarter 2018 Form 10-Q. The Company currently records changes in restricted cash within the investing section of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Upon adoption, restricted cash will be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and therefore changes in restricted cash will not be reported as cash flow activities. Rayonier will continue to disclose the nature of restrictions on the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash. See Note 16 — Restricted Cash for additional information. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which addresses the diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows, and other Topics. This update addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. ASU No. 2016-15 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods. ASU No. 2016-15 is required to be applied retrospectively to all periods presented beginning in the period of adoption. Early adoption is permitted. The Company anticipates the adoption of this standard will not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which currently requires lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets related to the rights and obligations created by those leases. ASU No. 2016-02 also requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures related to the nature, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. ASU No. 2016-02 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period. ASU No. 2016-02 is required to be applied on a modified retrospective basis beginning at the earliest period presented. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this new guidance on the consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) jointly issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that will supersede current revenue recognition guidance. The guidance provides a unified model to determine when and how revenue is recognized and will require enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity’s contracts with customers. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Deferral of the Effective Date. ASU No. 2015-14 provides a one-year deferral of the effective date of the new standard, with an option for organizations to adopt early based on the original effective date. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. The update clarifies the guidance for identifying performance obligations. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients. The update clarifies the guidance for assessing collectibility, presenting sales taxes and other similar taxes collected from customers, non-cash consideration, contract modifications at transition, completed contracts at transition and disclosing the accounting change in the period of adoption. In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-05, Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets. The update clarifies that a financial asset is within the scope of Subtopic 610-20 if it meets the definition of an in substance nonfinancial asset. This standard will be effective for Rayonier beginning January 1, 2018 and can be applied either retrospectively to each period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The Company expects to adopt using the cumulative-effect method. As of September 30, 2017, and subject to the Company’s ongoing evaluation of new transactions and contracts, Rayonier has substantially completed its evaluation of the expected impact of adopting Topic 606 and anticipates that the adoption of this standard will not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements aside from adding expanded disclosures. Rayonier is also currently identifying and implementing appropriate changes to its business processes, systems and controls to support revenue recognition and disclosures under Topic 606. A material change in controls over financial reporting is not anticipated.
Segment Reporting	Sales between operating segments are made based on estimated fair market value, and intercompany sales, purchases and profits (losses) are eliminated in consolidation. The Company evaluates financial performance based on segment operating income and Adjusted EBITDA. Asset information is not reported by segment, as the Company does not produce asset information by segment internally. Operating income as presented in the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income is equal to segment income. Certain income (loss) items in the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income are not allocated to segments. These items, which include gains (losses) from certain asset dispositions, interest income (expense), miscellaneous income (expense) and income tax (expense) benefit, are not considered by management to be part of segment operations and are included under “Corporate and other” or “unallocated interest expense and other.”
Derivatives	Accounting for derivative financial instruments is governed by ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, (“ASC 815”). In accordance with ASC 815, the Company records its derivative instruments at fair value as either assets or liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Changes in the instruments’ fair value are accounted for based on their intended use. Gains and losses on derivatives that are designated and qualify for cash flow hedge accounting are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) and reclassified into earnings when the hedged transaction materializes. Gains and losses on derivatives that are designated and qualify for net investment hedge accounting are recorded as a component of AOCI and will not be reclassified into earnings until the Company’s investment in its New Zealand operations is partially or completely liquidated. The ineffective portion of any hedge, changes in the fair value of derivatives not designated as hedging instruments and those which are no longer effective as hedging instruments, are recognized immediately in earnings.
Offsetting Derivatives	Offsetting Derivatives Derivative financial instruments are presented at their gross fair values in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company’s derivative financial instruments are not subject to master netting arrangements, which would allow the right of offset.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	The fair value of foreign currency exchange contracts is determined by a mark-to-market valuation which estimates fair value by discounting the difference between the contracted forward price and the current forward price for the residual maturity of the contract using a risk-free interest rate. The fair value of foreign currency option contracts is based on a mark-to-market calculation using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Rayonier uses the following methods and assumptions in estimating the fair value of its financial instruments: Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash — The carrying amount is equal to fair market value. Debt — The fair value of fixed rate debt is based upon quoted market prices for debt with similar terms and maturities. The variable rate debt adjusts with changes in the market rate, therefore the carrying value approximates fair value. Interest rate swap agreements — The fair value of interest rate contracts is determined by discounting the expected future cash flows, for each instrument, at prevailing interest rates. Foreign currency exchange contracts — The fair value of foreign currency exchange contracts is determined by a mark-to-market valuation which estimates fair value by discounting the difference between the contracted forward price and the current forward price for the residual maturity of the contract using a risk-free interest rate. Foreign currency option contracts — The fair value of foreign currency option contracts is based on a mark-to-market calculation using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.
Consolidation, Subsidiaries or Other Investments, Consolidated Entities	The condensed consolidating financial information below follows the same accounting policies as described in the consolidated financial statements, except for the use of the equity method of accounting to reflect ownership interests in wholly-owned subsidiaries, which are eliminated upon consolidation, and the allocation of certain expenses of Rayonier Inc. incurred for the benefit of its subsidiaries.
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events The Company has evaluated events occurring from September 30, 2017 to the date of issuance for potential recognition or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements. No events were identified that warranted recognition. See Note 8 — Contingencies for events that warranted disclosure.