CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 104,062,000	$ 85,909,000	$ 110,039,000	$ 51,777,000
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	39,408,000	20,664,000
Insurance settlement receivable	73,000,000	0
Inventory	24,497,000	21,379,000
Prepaid expenses	16,656,000	11,807,000
Assets held for sale	0	23,171,000
Other current assets	3,322,000	1,874,000
Total current assets	260,945,000	164,804,000
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,492,049,000	2,291,015,000
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	79,223,000	70,374,000
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	23,326,000	14,034,000
RESTRICTED CASH	10,631,000	71,708,000
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	45,545,000	73,825,000
TOTAL ASSETS	2,911,719,000	2,685,760,000
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	27,692,000	22,337,000
Insurance settlement payable	73,000,000	0
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 4)	0	31,676,000
Accrued taxes	7,562,000	2,657,000
Accrued payroll and benefits	7,331,000	9,277,000
Accrued interest	8,032,000	5,340,000
Other current liabilities	26,799,000	20,679,000
Total current liabilities	150,416,000	91,966,000
Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs	1,030,269,000	1,030,205,000
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	31,431,000	31,856,000
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	42,369,000	34,981,000
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,558,555,000	1,411,610,000
Noncontrolling interest	98,679,000	85,142,000
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,657,234,000	1,496,752,000		1,361,740,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,911,719,000	2,685,760,000
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	(4,286,774,000)	(4,093,509,000)
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(4,286,774,000)	(4,093,509,000)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Insurance settlement payable	0
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 4)	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	(4,286,774,000)	(4,093,509,000)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,286,774,000)	(4,093,509,000)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,286,774,000)	(4,093,509,000)
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	63,219,000	21,453,000	59,966,000	2,472,000
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Insurance settlement receivable	73,000,000
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale		0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	136,219,000	21,453,000
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	1,489,553,000	1,422,081,000
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	35,502,000	26,472,000
OTHER ASSETS	2,000	2,000
TOTAL ASSETS	1,661,276,000	1,470,008,000
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Insurance settlement payable	73,000,000
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 4)	0	31,676,000
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	6,094,000	3,047,000
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	79,094,000	34,723,000
Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs	323,342,000	291,390,000
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(299,715,000)	(267,715,000)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,558,555,000	1,411,610,000
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,558,555,000	1,411,610,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,661,276,000	1,470,008,000
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	6,605,000	9,461,000	5,320,000	13,217,000
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	2,764,000	2,991,000
Insurance settlement receivable	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	1,466,000	427,000
Assets held for sale		0
Other current assets	15,000	236,000
Total current assets	10,850,000	13,115,000
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	(178,000)	177,000
RESTRICTED CASH	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,797,221,000	2,671,428,000
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(625,541,000)	(611,571,000)
OTHER ASSETS	6,699,000	46,846,000
TOTAL ASSETS	2,189,051,000	2,119,995,000
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	3,129,000	1,194,000
Insurance settlement payable	0
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 4)	0	0
Accrued taxes	(19,000)	(111,000)
Accrued payroll and benefits	3,616,000	5,013,000
Accrued interest	1,932,000	2,040,000
Other current liabilities	656,000	165,000
Total current liabilities	9,314,000	8,301,000
Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs	663,521,000	663,343,000
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	32,116,000	32,541,000
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	13,508,000	12,690,000
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(18,961,000)	(18,961,000)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,489,553,000	1,422,081,000
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,489,553,000	1,422,081,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,189,051,000	2,119,995,000
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	34,238,000	54,995,000	$ 44,753,000	$ 36,088,000
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	36,644,000	17,673,000
Insurance settlement receivable	0
Inventory	24,497,000	21,379,000
Prepaid expenses	15,190,000	11,380,000
Assets held for sale		23,171,000
Other current assets	3,307,000	1,638,000
Total current assets	113,876,000	130,236,000
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,492,049,000	2,291,015,000
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	79,223,000	70,374,000
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	23,504,000	13,857,000
RESTRICTED CASH	10,631,000	71,708,000
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	590,039,000	585,099,000
OTHER ASSETS	38,844,000	26,977,000
TOTAL ASSETS	3,348,166,000	3,189,266,000
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	24,563,000	21,143,000
Insurance settlement payable	0
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 4)	0	0
Accrued taxes	7,581,000	2,768,000
Accrued payroll and benefits	3,715,000	4,264,000
Accrued interest	6,000	253,000
Other current liabilities	26,143,000	20,514,000
Total current liabilities	62,008,000	48,942,000
Long-term debt, net of deferred financing costs	43,406,000	75,472,000
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(685,000)	(685,000)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	28,861,000	22,291,000
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	318,676,000	286,676,000
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,797,221,000	2,671,428,000
Noncontrolling interest	98,679,000	85,142,000
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,895,900,000	2,756,570,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 3,348,166,000	$ 3,189,266,000