Consolidating Financial Statements - Cash Flow (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		$ 310,096	$ 256,284	$ 203,801
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(62,325)	(65,345)	(58,723)
Real estate development investments		(9,501)	(15,784)	(8,746)
Purchase of timberlands		(57,608)	(242,910)	(366,481)
Assets purchased in business acquisition		0	0	(887)
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands		0	95,243	203,862
Rayonier office building under construction		0	(6,084)	(6,307)
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0	0
Other		(3,421)	(373)	2,311
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(132,855)	(235,253)	(234,971)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		1,014	63,389	695,916
Repayment of debt		(54,416)	(100,157)	(458,415)
Dividends paid		(136,772)	(127,069)	(122,845)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		8,591	4,751	1,576
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs		0	152,390	0
Repurchase of common shares		(2,984)	(176)	(690)
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		2,025	0	0
Distribution to minority shareholder		(11,172)	0	0
Debt issuance costs		0	0	(818)
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0	0
Intercompany distributions		0	0	0
Other		0	0	(301)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(193,714)	(6,872)	114,423
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		571	580	(938)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH (a)
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	[1]	(15,902)	14,739	82,315
Balance, beginning of year		172,356	157,617	75,302
Balance, end of year		156,454	172,356	157,617
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
Assets purchased in business acquisition				0
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands			0	0
Rayonier office building under construction			0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries		(6,128)	(38,546)	293,820
Other		0	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(6,128)	(38,546)	293,820
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 under incentive stock plan		0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs			0
Repurchase of common shares		0	0	0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		0
Distribution to minority shareholder		0
Debt issuance costs				0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0	0	0
Intercompany distributions		6,128	38,546	(293,820)
Other				0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		6,128	38,546	(293,820)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH (a)
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		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		284,781	(48,104)	(7,480)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		0	0	0
Real estate development investments		0	0	0
Purchase of timberlands		0	0	0
Assets purchased in business acquisition				0
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands			0	0
Rayonier office building under construction			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	0
Repayment of debt		0	0	0
Dividends paid		(136,698)	(127,069)	(122,845)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		8,591	4,751	1,576
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs			152,390
Repurchase of common shares		(2,984)	(176)	(690)
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		0
Distribution to minority shareholder		0
Debt issuance costs				0
Issuance of intercompany notes		299,715	(32,000)	(12,000)
Intercompany distributions		(501,608)	77,319	160,597
Other				(177)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(332,984)	75,215	26,461
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH (a)
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(48,203)	27,111	18,981
Balance, beginning of year		48,564	21,453	2,472
Balance, end of year		361	48,564	21,453
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		182,057	111,431	113,775
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(59)	0	0
Real estate development investments		0	0	0
Purchase of timberlands		0	0	0
Assets purchased in business acquisition				0
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands			0	0
Rayonier office building under construction			0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries		6,128	38,546	(293,820)
Other		0	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		6,069	38,546	(293,820)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0	25,000	548,000
Repayment of debt		(50,000)	(15,000)	(140,000)
Dividends paid		(74)	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs			0
Repurchase of common shares		0	0	0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		0
Distribution to minority shareholder		0
Debt issuance costs				(818)
Issuance of intercompany notes		18,961	0	0
Intercompany distributions		(77,278)	(144,396)	(230,893)
Other				0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		(108,391)	(134,396)	176,289
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		0	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH (a)
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		79,735	15,581	(3,756)
Balance, beginning of year		25,042	9,461	13,217
Balance, end of year		104,777	25,042	9,461
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES		(156,742)	192,957	97,506
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures		(62,266)	(65,345)	(58,723)
Real estate development investments		(9,501)	(15,784)	(8,746)
Purchase of timberlands		(57,608)	(242,910)	(366,481)
Assets purchased in business acquisition				(887)
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands			95,243	203,862
Rayonier office building under construction			(6,084)	(6,307)
Investment in Subsidiaries		0	0	0
Other		(3,421)	(373)	2,311
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES		(132,796)	(235,253)	(234,971)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		1,014	38,389	147,916
Repayment of debt		(4,416)	(85,157)	(318,415)
Dividends paid		0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan		0	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares from equity offering, net of costs			0
Repurchase of common shares		0	0	0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge		2,025
Distribution to minority shareholder		(11,172)
Debt issuance costs				0
Issuance of intercompany notes		(318,676)	32,000	12,000
Intercompany distributions		572,758	28,531	364,116
Other				(124)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES		241,533	13,763	205,493
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH		571	580	(938)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH (a)
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(47,434)	(27,953)	67,090
Balance, beginning of year		98,750	126,703	59,613
Balance, end of year		$ 51,316	$ 98,750	$ 126,703

[1] (a)Due to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-08, restricted cash is now included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-year and end-of-year total amounts shown and therefore changes in restricted cash are no longer reported as investing activities. Prior year amounts have been restated to conform to current year presentation. For additional information and a reconciliation of cash, see