CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 186,873	$ 163,908
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(45,731)	(40,246)
Real estate development costs	(11,780)	(4,815)
Purchase of timberlands	(239,052)	(353,828)
Assets purchased in business acquisition	0	(1,113)
Net proceeds from large disposition	42,029	126,965
Rayonier office building under construction	(5,979)	(3,933)
Change in restricted cash	61,078	22,430
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	383	444
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(199,052)	(254,096)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	63,389	694,096
Repayment of debt	(95,216)	(454,419)
Dividends paid	(95,008)	(92,095)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	3,665	889
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering	152,390	0
Debt issuance costs	0	(818)
Issuance of intercompany notes	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	(690)
Intercompany distributions	0	0
Other	0	(139)
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	29,220	146,824
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	1,112	1,626
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	18,153	58,262
Balance, beginning of year	85,909	51,777
Balance, end of period	104,062	110,039
Consolidating Adjustments
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(219)	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	(12,307)	285,937
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(12,307)	285,937
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	0
Issuance of intercompany notes	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Intercompany distributions	12,307	(285,937)
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	12,307	(285,937)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	219	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	(40,090)	(578)
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	(95,008)	(92,095)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	3,665	889
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering	152,390
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Issuance of intercompany notes	32,000	12,000
Repurchase of common shares	0	(690)
Intercompany distributions	52,809	162,107
Other	0	(139)
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	81,856	58,072
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	41,766	57,494
Balance, beginning of year	21,453	2,472
Balance, end of period	63,219	59,966
Subsidiary Guarantors
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Debt issuance costs	0
Issuance of intercompany notes	0
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	77,358	26,589
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	12,307	(285,937)
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	12,307	(285,937)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	25,000	548,000
Repayment of debt	(15,000)	(140,000)
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)
Issuance of intercompany notes		0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Intercompany distributions	(102,521)	(155,731)
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(92,521)	251,451
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(2,856)	(7,897)
Balance, beginning of year	9,461	13,217
Balance, end of period	6,605	5,320
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	149,824	137,897
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(45,731)	(40,246)
Real estate development costs	(11,780)	(4,815)
Purchase of timberlands	(239,052)	(353,828)
Assets purchased in business acquisition		(1,113)
Net proceeds from large disposition	42,029	126,965
Rayonier office building under construction	(5,979)	(3,933)
Change in restricted cash	61,078	22,430
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	383	444
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(199,052)	(254,096)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	38,389	146,096
Repayment of debt	(80,216)	(314,419)
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	0
Issuance of intercompany notes	(32,000)	(12,000)
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Intercompany distributions	37,405	279,561
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	27,578	123,238
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	893	1,626
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(20,757)	8,665
Balance, beginning of year	54,995	36,088
Balance, end of period	$ 34,238	$ 44,753