CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 70,917	$ 78,235
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(14,122)	(13,192)
Real estate development costs	(1,677)	(2,340)
Purchase of timberlands	(12,349)	(12)
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	2,337	(2,105)
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(25,811)	(17,649)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Repayment of debt	0	(29,375)
Dividends paid	(34,877)	(32,123)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	597	5,455
Repurchase of common shares	(33)	(18)
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge	(16)
Distribution to minority shareholder	(3,594)	0
Intercompany distributions	0	0
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(37,923)	(56,061)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	843	807
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	8,026	5,332
Balance, beginning of year	156,454	172,356
Balance, end of period	164,480	177,688
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
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,495)	(31,654)
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(6,495)	(31,654)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Repayment of debt		0
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	0
Intercompany distributions	6,495	31,654
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	6,495	31,654
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	(7,623)	(701)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Repayment of debt		0
Dividends paid	(34,858)	(32,123)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	597	5,455
Repurchase of common shares	(33)	(18)
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	0
Intercompany distributions	58,146	13,660
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	23,852	(13,026)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	16,229	(13,727)
Balance, beginning of year	361	48,564
Balance, end of period	16,590	34,837
Subsidiary Guarantors \| Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(2,265)	37,055
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	(35)
Real estate development costs	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	6,495	31,654
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	6,495	31,619
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Repayment of debt		(26,000)
Dividends paid	(19)	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	0
Intercompany distributions	(10,183)	(49,065)
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(10,202)	(75,065)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(5,972)	(6,391)
Balance, beginning of year	104,777	25,042
Balance, end of period	98,805	18,651
Non- guarantors \| Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	80,805	41,881
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(14,122)	(13,157)
Real estate development costs	(1,677)	(2,340)
Purchase of timberlands	(12,349)	(12)
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Other	2,337	(2,105)
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(25,811)	(17,614)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Repayment of debt		(3,375)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Repurchase of common shares		0
Proceeds from shareholder distribution hedge	(16)
Distribution to minority shareholder	(3,594)
Intercompany distributions	(54,458)	3,751
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(58,068)	376
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	843	807
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(2,231)	25,450
Balance, beginning of year	51,316	98,750
Balance, end of period	$ 49,085	$ 124,200

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