Consolidating Financial Statements - Cash Flow (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 256,284	$ 203,801	$ 177,164
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(65,345)	(58,723)	(57,293)
Real estate development investments	(15,784)	(8,746)	(2,676)
Purchase of timberlands	(242,910)	(366,481)	(98,409)
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative	0	0	2,804
Assets purchased in business acquisition	0	(887)	0
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions	95,243	203,862	0
Rayonier office building under construction	(6,084)	(6,307)	(908)
Change in restricted cash	12,005	(48,184)	(16,836)
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other	(373)	2,311	7,009
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(223,248)	(283,155)	(166,309)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	63,389	695,916	472,558
Repayment of debt	(100,157)	(458,415)	(364,402)
Dividends paid	(127,069)	(122,845)	(124,936)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	4,751	1,576	2,117
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs	152,390	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	(176)	(690)	(100,000)
Debt issuance costs	0	(818)	(1,678)
Issuance of intercompany notes	0	0	0
Intercompany distributions	0	0	0
Other	0	(301)	(122)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(6,872)	114,423	(116,463)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	580	(937)	(4,173)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	26,744	34,132	(109,781)
Balance, beginning of year	85,909	51,777	161,558
Balance, end of year	112,653	85,909	51,777
Consolidating Adjustments
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	0	0	0
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Real estate development investments	0	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0	0
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative			0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions	0	0
Rayonier office building under construction	0	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(38,546)	293,820	(126,242)
Other	0	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(38,546)	293,820	(126,242)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0	0
Dividends paid	0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs		0	0
Issuance of intercompany notes	0	0	0
Intercompany distributions	38,546	(293,820)	126,242
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	38,546	(293,820)	126,242
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Balance, beginning of year	0	0	0
Balance, end of year	0	0	0
Rayonier Inc.(Parent Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(48,104)	(7,480)	(4,890)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Real estate development investments	0	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0	0
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative			0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions	0	0
Rayonier office building under construction	0	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	0	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	0	61,000
Repayment of debt	0	0	(61,000)
Dividends paid	(127,069)	(122,845)	(124,936)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	4,751	1,576	2,117
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs	152,390
Repurchase of common shares	(176)	(690)	(100,000)
Debt issuance costs		0	0
Issuance of intercompany notes	(32,000)	(12,000)	(35,500)
Intercompany distributions	77,319	160,597	163,585
Other		(177)	(122)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	75,215	26,461	(94,856)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	27,111	18,981	(99,746)
Balance, beginning of year	21,453	2,472	102,218
Balance, end of year	48,564	21,453	2,472
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	111,431	113,775	(21,421)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0	(78)
Real estate development investments	0	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0	0
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative			0
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions	0	0
Rayonier office building under construction	0	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	38,546	(293,820)	126,242
Other	0	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	38,546	(293,820)	126,164
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	25,000	548,000	353,000
Repayment of debt	(15,000)	(140,000)	(232,973)
Dividends paid	0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs		(818)	(1,678)
Issuance of intercompany notes	0	0	0
Intercompany distributions	(144,396)	(230,893)	(217,980)
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(134,396)	176,289	(99,631)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	15,581	(3,756)	5,112
Balance, beginning of year	9,461	13,217	8,105
Balance, end of year	25,042	9,461	13,217
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	192,957	97,506	203,475
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(65,345)	(58,723)	(57,215)
Real estate development investments	(15,784)	(8,746)	(2,676)
Purchase of timberlands	(242,910)	(366,481)	(98,409)
Proceeds from settlement of foreign currency derivative			2,804
Assets purchased in business acquisition		(887)
Net proceeds from Large Dispositions	95,243	203,862
Rayonier office building under construction	(6,084)	(6,307)	(908)
Change in restricted cash	12,005	(48,184)	(16,836)
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other	(373)	2,311	7,009
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(223,248)	(283,155)	(166,231)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	38,389	147,916	58,558
Repayment of debt	(85,157)	(318,415)	(70,429)
Dividends paid	0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0	0
Debt issuance costs		0	0
Issuance of intercompany notes	32,000	12,000	35,500
Intercompany distributions	28,531	364,116	(71,847)
Other		(124)	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	13,763	205,493	(48,218)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	580	(937)	(4,173)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(15,948)	18,907	(15,147)
Balance, beginning of year	54,995	36,088	51,235
Balance, end of year	$ 39,047	$ 54,995	$ 36,088