CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		$ 78,235	$ 33,943
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(13,192)	(14,362)
Real estate development costs		(2,340)	(2,185)
Purchase of timberlands		(12)	(11,293)
Net proceeds from large disposition		0	42,034
Rayonier office building under construction		0	(2,604)
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0
Other		(2,105)	(5,617)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(17,649)	5,973
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0	29,719
Repayment of debt		(29,375)	(20,530)
Dividends paid		(32,123)	(30,618)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		5,455	2,251
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering		0	152,345
Repurchase of common shares under share repurchase program		(18)	0
Issuance of intercompany notes			0
Intercompany distributions		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(56,061)	133,167
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		807	(67)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash and cash equivalents	[1]	5,332	173,016
Balance, beginning of year	[1]	172,356	157,617
Balance, end of period	[1]	177,688	330,633
Consolidating Adjustments
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		0	0
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		0	0
Real estate development costs		0	0
Purchase of timberlands		0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition			0
Rayonier office building under construction			0
Investment in Subsidiaries		(31,654)	(2,636)
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(31,654)	(2,636)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt			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
Repurchase of common shares under share repurchase program		0
Issuance of intercompany notes			0
Intercompany distributions		31,654	2,636
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		31,654	2,636
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
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		(701)	(1,192)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		0	0
Real estate development costs		0	0
Purchase of timberlands		0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition			0
Rayonier office building under construction			0
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES		0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt			0
Repayment of debt		0	0
Dividends paid		(32,123)	(30,618)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		5,455	2,251
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering			152,345
Repurchase of common shares under share repurchase program		(18)
Issuance of intercompany notes			0
Intercompany distributions		13,660	13,677
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(13,026)	137,655
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash and cash equivalents		(13,727)	136,463
Balance, beginning of year		48,564	21,453
Balance, end of period		34,837	157,916
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		37,055	36,931
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(35)	0
Real estate development costs		0	0
Purchase of timberlands		0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition			0
Rayonier office building under construction			0
Investment in Subsidiaries		31,654	2,636
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES		31,619	2,636
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt			15,000
Repayment of debt		(26,000)	(15,000)
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
Repurchase of common shares under share repurchase program		0
Issuance of intercompany notes			0
Intercompany distributions		(49,065)	(30,504)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(75,065)	(30,504)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash and cash equivalents		(6,391)	9,063
Balance, beginning of year		25,042	9,461
Balance, end of period		18,651	18,524
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		41,881	(1,796)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(13,157)	(14,362)
Real estate development costs		(2,340)	(2,185)
Purchase of timberlands		(12)	(11,293)
Net proceeds from large disposition			42,034
Rayonier office building under construction			(2,604)
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0
Other		(2,105)	(5,617)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(17,614)	5,973
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt			14,719
Repayment of debt		(3,375)	(5,530)
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
Repurchase of common shares under share repurchase program		0
Issuance of intercompany notes			0
Intercompany distributions		3,751	14,191
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		376	23,380
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		807	(67)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash and cash equivalents		25,450	27,490
Balance, beginning of year		98,750	126,703
Balance, end of period		$ 124,200	$ 154,193

[1] Due to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-18, restricted cash is now included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-year and end-of-period total amounts shown and therefore changes in restricted cash are no longer reported as investing activities. Prior period amounts have been restated to conform to current period presentation. For additional information and a reconciliation of cash, see