CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 116,954	$ 181,583
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(29,505)	(25,920)
Real estate development investments	(999)	(4,501)
Purchase of timberlands	(26,396)	(31,234)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	(3,888)	113
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(60,788)	(61,542)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	1,014
Repayment of debt	0	(54,389)
Dividends paid	(71,107)	(67,053)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	774	7,824
Repurchase of common shares	(4,241)	(2,966)
Issuance of intercompany notes		0
Other	133	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	(3,594)	0
Intercompany distributions	0	0
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(78,035)	(115,570)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	125	(578)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(21,744)	3,893
Balance, beginning of year	156,454	172,356
Balance, end of period	134,710	176,249
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 investments	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(832)	(40,441)
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(832)	(40,441)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0
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
Issuance of intercompany notes		0
Other	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	0
Intercompany distributions	832	40,441
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	832	40,441
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	(14,180)	(7,491)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development investments	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0
Repayment of debt		0
Dividends paid	(69,798)	(67,053)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	774	7,824
Repurchase of common shares	(4,241)	(2,966)
Issuance of intercompany notes		9,000
Other	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	0
Intercompany distributions	87,168	107,102
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	13,903	35,907
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(277)	28,416
Balance, beginning of year	361	48,564
Balance, end of period	84	76,980
Subsidiary Guarantors \| Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	25,406	57,280
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	(58)
Real estate development investments	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	832	40,441
Other	(7,539)	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(6,707)	40,383
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		0
Repayment of debt		(50,000)
Dividends paid	(1,309)	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Issuance of intercompany notes		0
Other	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	0
Intercompany distributions	(29,293)	(60,741)
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(30,602)	(110,741)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(11,903)	(13,078)
Balance, beginning of year	104,777	25,042
Balance, end of period	92,874	11,964
Non- guarantors \| Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	105,728	131,794
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(29,505)	(25,862)
Real estate development investments	(999)	(4,501)
Purchase of timberlands	(26,396)	(31,234)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	3,651	113
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(53,249)	(61,484)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt		1,014
Repayment of debt		(4,389)
Dividends paid		0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Issuance of intercompany notes		(9,000)
Other	133
Distribution to minority shareholder	(3,594)
Intercompany distributions	(58,707)	(86,802)
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(62,168)	(81,177)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	125	(578)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(9,564)	(11,445)
Balance, beginning of year	51,316	98,750
Balance, end of period	$ 41,752	$ 87,305

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