CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		$ 261,051	$ 186,873
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(44,137)	(45,731)
Real estate development costs		(6,889)	(11,780)
Purchase of timberlands		(38,978)	(239,052)
Net proceeds from large disposition		0	42,029
Rayonier office building under construction		0	(5,979)
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0
Other		2,132	383
CASH (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(87,872)	(260,130)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		1,014	63,389
Repayment of debt		(54,416)	(95,216)
Dividends paid		(101,839)	(95,008)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		8,216	3,665
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs		0	152,390
Repurchase of common shares		(2,980)	0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		610	0
Distribution to minority shareholder		(3,122)	0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0
Intercompany distributions		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(152,517)	29,220
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		(1,341)	1,113
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	[1]	19,321	(42,924)
Balance, beginning of year	[1]	172,356	157,617
Balance, end of period	[1]	191,677	114,693
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		(40,554)	(12,307)
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(40,554)	(12,307)
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 from equity offering, net of costs			0
Repurchase of common shares		0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		0
Distribution to minority shareholder		0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0
Intercompany distributions		40,554	12,307
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		40,554	12,307
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		(16,590)	(40,090)
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		(101,839)	(95,008)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		8,216	3,665
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs			152,390
Repurchase of common shares		(2,980)
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		0
Distribution to minority shareholder		0
Issuance of intercompany notes		(9,000)	(32,000)
Intercompany distributions		79,874	52,809
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(25,729)	81,856
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(42,319)	41,766
Balance, beginning of year		48,564	21,453
Balance, end of period		6,245	63,219
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		165,283	77,358
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		40,554	12,307
Other		0	0
CASH (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		40,496	12,307
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 from equity offering, net of costs			0
Repurchase of common shares		0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		0
Distribution to minority shareholder		0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0
Intercompany distributions		(88,074)	(102,521)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(138,074)	(92,521)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		67,705	(2,856)
Balance, beginning of year		25,042	9,461
Balance, end of period		92,747	6,605
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		112,358	149,605
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(44,079)	(45,731)
Real estate development costs		(6,889)	(11,780)
Purchase of timberlands		(38,978)	(239,052)
Net proceeds from large disposition			42,029
Rayonier office building under construction			(5,979)
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0
Other		2,132	383
CASH (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(87,814)	(260,130)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		1,014	38,389
Repayment of debt		(4,416)	(80,216)
Dividends paid		0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs			0
Repurchase of common shares		0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		610
Distribution to minority shareholder		(3,122)
Issuance of intercompany notes		9,000	32,000
Intercompany distributions		(32,354)	37,405
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(29,268)	27,578
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		(1,341)	1,113
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(6,065)	(81,834)
Balance, beginning of year		98,750	126,703
Balance, end of period		$ 92,685	$ 44,869

[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.