Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 148,374	$ 112,653
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	26,151	27,693
Inventory	15,703	24,141
Prepaid logging roads	11,976	11,207
Prepaid expenses	5,040	4,786
Other current assets	609	3,047
Total current assets	207,853	183,527
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,401,327	2,462,066
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	85,609	80,797
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	22,751	23,378
RESTRICTED CASH (NOTE 19)	8,080	59,703
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	55,046	49,010
TOTAL ASSETS	2,780,666	2,858,481
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	18,019	25,148
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	3,375
Accrued taxes	3,178	3,781
Accrued payroll and benefits	10,416	9,662
Accrued interest	5,007	5,054
Deferred revenue	10,447	9,721
Other current liabilities	16,474	11,807
Total current liabilities	63,541	68,548
LONG-TERM DEBT	972,567	1,022,004
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	29,800	31,905
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	60,208	43,084
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,556,873	1,593,023
Noncontrolling interest	97,677	99,917
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,654,550	1,692,940	$ 1,496,752	$ 1,361,740
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,780,666	2,858,481
Consolidating Adjustments
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	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	(4,856,774)	(4,345,564)
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(4,856,774)	(4,345,564)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt		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	(4,856,774)	(4,345,564)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,856,774)	(4,345,564)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,856,774)	(4,345,564)
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	361	48,564
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	361	48,564
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	1,833,899	1,531,156
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	49,461	40,067
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	2	2
TOTAL ASSETS	1,883,723	1,619,789
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt		0
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	3,047
LONG-TERM DEBT	323,803	323,434
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	(299,715)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,556,873	1,593,023
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,556,873	1,593,023
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,883,723	1,619,789
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	104,777	25,042
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	3,752	3,726
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	977	759
Other current assets	108	14
Total current assets	109,614	29,541
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	16,940	21
RESTRICTED CASH (NOTE 19)	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	3,022,875	2,814,408
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	(638,424)	(628,167)
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	19,244	12,680
TOTAL ASSETS	2,530,249	2,228,483
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	1,616	2,838
Current maturities of long-term debt		0
Accrued taxes	8	48
Accrued payroll and benefits	5,848	5,298
Accrued interest	1,960	1,995
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	216	564
Total current liabilities	9,648	10,743
LONG-TERM DEBT	648,764	663,570
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	30,484	32,589
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	7,454	9,386
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	(18,961)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,833,899	1,531,156
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,833,899	1,531,156
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,530,249	2,228,483
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	43,236	39,047
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	22,399	23,967
Inventory	15,703	24,141
Prepaid logging roads	11,976	11,207
Prepaid expenses	4,063	4,027
Other current assets	501	3,033
Total current assets	97,878	105,422
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,401,327	2,462,066
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 6)	85,609	80,797
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	5,811	23,357
RESTRICTED CASH (NOTE 19)	8,080	59,703
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	588,963	588,100
OTHER ASSETS (NOTE 20)	35,800	36,328
TOTAL ASSETS	3,223,468	3,355,773
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	16,403	22,310
Current maturities of long-term debt		3,375
Accrued taxes	3,170	3,733
Accrued payroll and benefits	4,568	4,364
Accrued interest	0	12
Deferred revenue	10,447	9,721
Other current liabilities	16,258	11,243
Total current liabilities	50,846	54,758
LONG-TERM DEBT	0	35,000
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(684)	(684)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	52,754	33,698
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	318,676
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	3,022,875	2,814,408
Noncontrolling interest	97,677	99,917
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	3,120,552	2,914,325
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 3,223,468	$ 3,355,773