Consolidating Financial Statements (Statement of Cash Flows Details) (USD $) In Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 194,867	$ 355,800
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital Expenditures	(65,211)	(71,348)
Purchase of timberlands	(12,976)	0
Intercompany purchase of timberlands and real estate		0
Change in restricted cash	8,323	(10,043)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	(950)	4,875
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(70,814)	(76,516)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	70,000	127,000
Repayment of debt	(145,000)	(66,650)
Dividends paid	(87,871)	(79,990)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	7,894	12,232
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation	4,900	3,951
Debt issuance costs	(1,663)	(535)
Repurchase of common shares	(7,828)	(5,997)
Distributions to / from parent	0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(159,568)	(9,989)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	232	(75)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(35,283)	269,220
Balance, beginning of year	349,463	74,964
Balance, end of period	314,180	344,184
Parent Company [Member]
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	87,805	73,755
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital Expenditures	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0
Intercompany purchase of timberlands and real estate		0
Change in restricted cash	0	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	(87,871)	(79,990)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	7,894	12,232
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	(7,828)	(5,997)
Distributions to / from parent	0	0
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(87,805)	(73,755)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Balance, beginning of year	0	0
Balance, end of period	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	104,011	117,276
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital Expenditures	(238)	(139)
Purchase of timberlands	0
Intercompany purchase of timberlands and real estate		0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(238)	(139)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	(5,000)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation	0	0
Debt issuance costs	(480)	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Distributions to / from parent	(87,325)	(73,755)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(87,805)	(78,755)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	15,968	38,382
Balance, beginning of year	29,759	2,895
Balance, end of period	45,727	41,277
Issuer Entity [Member]
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	15,000	25,000
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital Expenditures	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0
Intercompany purchase of timberlands and real estate		0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	24,778	116,784
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	24,778	116,784
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	75,000
Repayment of debt	(75,000)	(4,650)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation	0	0
Debt issuance costs	(703)	(535)
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Distributions to / from parent	(15,000)	(25,000)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(90,703)	44,815
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(50,925)	186,599
Balance, beginning of year	283,258	67,494
Balance, end of period	232,333	254,093
Non-guarantor Subsidiary Rayonier TRS Holdings Inc [Member]
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	97,347	231,519
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital Expenditures	(47,800)	(58,842)
Purchase of timberlands	0
Intercompany purchase of timberlands and real estate		(41,254)
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	(878)	6,855
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(48,678)	(93,241)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation	4,900	3,951
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Distributions to / from parent	(43,336)	(144,382)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(38,436)	(140,431)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	232	(75)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	10,465	(2,228)
Balance, beginning of year	1,280	2,228
Balance, end of period	11,745	0
Non-guarantor Subsidiary All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	81,107	118,793
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital Expenditures	(17,173)	(12,367)
Purchase of timberlands	(12,976)
Intercompany purchase of timberlands and real estate		(22,936)
Change in restricted cash	8,323	(10,043)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	(72)	(1,980)
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(21,898)	(47,326)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	70,000	52,000
Repayment of debt	(70,000)	(57,000)
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation	0	0
Debt issuance costs	(480)	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Distributions to / from parent	(69,520)	(20,000)
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(70,000)	(25,000)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(10,791)	46,467
Balance, beginning of year	35,166	2,347
Balance, end of period	24,375	48,814
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(190,403)	(210,543)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital Expenditures	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0
Intercompany purchase of timberlands and real estate		64,190
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(24,778)	(116,784)
Other	0	0
CASH USED FOR INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(24,778)	(52,594)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0	0
Repayment of debt	0	0
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares	0	0
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Distributions to / from parent	215,181	263,137
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES	215,181	263,137
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Balance, beginning of year	0	0
Balance, end of period	$ 0	$ 0