Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 112,653	$ 85,909	$ 51,777	$ 161,558
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	27,693	20,664
Inventory	24,141	21,379
Prepaid logging roads	11,207	10,228
Prepaid expenses	4,786	1,579
Assets held for sale (Note 21)	0	23,171
Other current assets	3,047	1,874
Total current assets	183,527	164,804
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,462,066	2,291,015
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	80,797	70,374
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	23,378	14,034
RESTRICTED CASH (NOTE 19)	59,703	71,708
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	49,010	73,825
TOTAL ASSETS	2,858,481	2,685,760
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	25,148	22,337
Current maturities of long-term debt	3,375	31,676
Accrued taxes	3,781	2,657
Accrued payroll and benefits	9,662	9,277
Accrued interest	5,054	5,340
Deferred revenue	9,721	9,099
Other current liabilities	11,807	11,580
Total current liabilities	68,548	91,966
LONG-TERM DEBT	1,022,004	1,030,205
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	31,905	31,856
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	43,084	34,981
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,593,023	1,411,610
Noncontrolling interest	99,917	85,142
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,692,940	1,496,752	1,361,740	1,575,151
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,858,481	2,685,760
Consolidating Adjustments
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale (Note 21)		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 INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
RESTRICTED CASH (NOTE 19)	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	(4,345,564)	(4,093,509)
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(4,345,564)	(4,093,509)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
LONG-TERM DEBT	0	0
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,345,564)	(4,093,509)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,345,564)	(4,093,509)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,345,564)	(4,093,509)
Rayonier Inc.(Parent Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	48,564	21,453	2,472	102,218
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Assets held for sale (Note 21)		0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	48,564	21,453
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
RESTRICTED CASH (NOTE 19)	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	1,531,156	1,422,081
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	40,067	26,472
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	2	2
TOTAL ASSETS	1,619,789	1,470,008
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	31,676
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	3,047	3,047
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	3,047	34,723
LONG-TERM DEBT	323,434	291,390
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(299,715)	(267,715)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,593,023	1,411,610
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,593,023	1,411,610
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,619,789	1,470,008
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	25,042	9,461	13,217	8,105
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	3,726	2,991
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	759	427
Assets held for sale (Note 21)		0
Other current assets	14	236
Total current assets	29,541	13,115
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	21	177
RESTRICTED CASH (NOTE 19)	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,814,408	2,671,428
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(628,167)	(611,571)
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	12,680	46,846
TOTAL ASSETS	2,228,483	2,119,995
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	2,838	1,194
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	48	(111)
Accrued payroll and benefits	5,298	5,013
Accrued interest	1,995	2,040
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	564	165
Total current liabilities	10,743	8,301
LONG-TERM DEBT	663,570	663,343
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	32,589	32,541
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	9,386	12,690
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(18,961)	(18,961)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,531,156	1,422,081
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,531,156	1,422,081
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,228,483	2,119,995
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	39,047	54,995	$ 36,088	$ 51,235
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	23,967	17,673
Inventory	24,141	21,379
Prepaid logging roads	11,207	10,228
Prepaid expenses	4,027	1,152
Assets held for sale (Note 21)		23,171
Other current assets	3,033	1,638
Total current assets	105,422	130,236
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,462,066	2,291,015
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	80,797	70,374
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	23,357	13,857
RESTRICTED CASH (NOTE 19)	59,703	71,708
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	588,100	585,099
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	36,328	26,977
TOTAL ASSETS	3,355,773	3,189,266
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	22,310	21,143
Current maturities of long-term debt	3,375	0
Accrued taxes	3,733	2,768
Accrued payroll and benefits	4,364	4,264
Accrued interest	12	253
Deferred revenue	9,721	9,099
Other current liabilities	11,243	11,415
Total current liabilities	54,758	48,942
LONG-TERM DEBT	35,000	75,472
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(684)	(685)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	33,698	22,291
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	318,676	286,676
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,814,408	2,671,428
Noncontrolling interest	99,917	85,142
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,914,325	2,756,570
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 3,355,773	$ 3,189,266