CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		$ 181,583	$ 128,315
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(25,920)	(29,840)
Real estate development costs		(4,501)	(5,599)
Purchase of timberlands		(31,234)	(237,235)
Net proceeds from large disposition		0	42,029
Rayonier office building under construction		0	(5,573)
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0
Other		113	1,033
CASH (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(61,542)	(235,185)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		1,014	63,389
Repayment of debt		(54,389)	(60,422)
Dividends paid		(67,053)	(62,825)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		7,824	3,206
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering		0	152,390
Repurchase of common shares		(2,966)	0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0
Intercompany distributions		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(115,570)	95,738
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		(578)	1,855
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	[1]	3,893	(9,277)
Balance, beginning of year	[1]	172,356	157,617
Balance, end of period	[1]	176,249	148,340
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		(40,441)	(6,932)
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(40,441)	(6,932)
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
Repurchase of common shares		0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0
Intercompany distributions		40,441	6,932
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		40,441	6,932
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		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		(7,491)	(7,648)
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) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0	0
Repayment of debt		0	0
Dividends paid		(67,053)	(62,825)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		7,824	3,206
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under equity offering			152,390
Repurchase of common shares		(2,966)
Issuance of intercompany notes		(9,000)	0
Intercompany distributions		107,102	(25,419)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		35,907	67,352
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		28,416	59,704
Balance, beginning of year		48,564	21,453
Balance, end of period		76,980	81,157
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		57,280	59,557
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(58)	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		40,441	6,932
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		40,383	6,932
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0	25,000
Repayment of debt		(50,000)	(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		0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0
Intercompany distributions		(60,741)	(73,365)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(110,741)	(63,365)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(13,078)	3,124
Balance, beginning of year		25,042	9,461
Balance, end of period		11,964	12,585
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		131,794	76,406
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(25,862)	(29,840)
Real estate development costs		(4,501)	(5,599)
Purchase of timberlands		(31,234)	(237,235)
Net proceeds from large disposition			42,029
Rayonier office building under construction			(5,573)
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0
Other		113	1,033
CASH (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(61,484)	(235,185)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		1,014	38,389
Repayment of debt		(4,389)	(45,422)
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		0
Issuance of intercompany notes		9,000	0
Intercompany distributions		(86,802)	91,852
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(81,177)	84,819
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		(578)	1,855
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(11,445)	(72,105)
Balance, beginning of year		98,750	126,703
Balance, end of period		$ 87,305	$ 54,598

[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 Note 17 — Restricted Cash.