Consolidating Financial Statements Statements of Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010		Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	$ 388,423		$ 385,091		$ 357,397	$ 357,731	$ 315,308		$ 377,515	$ 312,210	$ 310,200		$ 1,488,642	$ 1,315,233	$ 1,168,567
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													1,073,732	990,099	914,772
Selling and general expenses													66,541	67,102	62,633
Other operating expense (income), net													(3,829)	(10,519)	(221,172)
Costs and Expenses, Total													1,136,444	1,046,682	756,233
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													4,088	1,033	(2,826)
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE													356,286	269,584	409,508
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture													0	12,367	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	81,325	[1]	108,310		79,073	87,578	56,665		92,082	56,344	76,860	[2]	356,286	281,951	409,508
Interest expense													(50,775)	(50,463)	(52,441)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													851	1,315	1,810
Equity in income from subsidiaries													0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													306,362	232,803	358,877
Income tax benefit (expense)													(30,357)	(15,217)	(46,336)
NET INCOME	56,230	[1]	104,909	[3]	56,454	58,412	59,171	[4]	62,904	38,558	56,953	[2]	276,005	217,586	312,541
Parent Company [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													0	0	0
Selling and general expenses													0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net													0	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total													0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														0
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													0	0	0
Interest expense													621	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													0	0	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries													275,384	217,586	312,541
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													276,005	217,586	312,541
Income tax benefit (expense)													0	0	0
NET INCOME													276,005	217,586	312,541
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													0	0	0
Selling and general expenses													10,710	10,122	11,349
Other operating expense (income), net													117	385	84
Costs and Expenses, Total													10,827	10,507	11,433
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														(10,507)
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													(10,827)	(10,507)	(11,433)
Interest expense													(1,133)	239	(113)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													5,280	12,952	5,244
Equity in income from subsidiaries													281,892	221,578	328,682
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													275,212	224,262	322,380
Income tax benefit (expense)													172	(6,676)	(9,839)
NET INCOME													275,384	217,586	312,541
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Issuer Subsidiary [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													0	0	0
Selling and general expenses													0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net													0	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total													0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														0
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													0	0	0
Interest expense													(49,555)	(50,313)	(47,761)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													(4,508)	(4,309)	(3,832)
Equity in income from subsidiaries													170,048	137,471	282,186
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													115,985	82,849	230,593
Income tax benefit (expense)													19,733	19,937	18,831
NET INCOME													135,718	102,786	249,424
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Non-guarantor Subsidiaries of Rayonier TRS Holdings Inc [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													1,374,090	1,234,254	1,016,463
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													1,036,494	992,543	831,167
Selling and general expenses													53,102	53,874	47,953
Other operating expense (income), net													10,181	3,184	(204,268)
Costs and Expenses, Total													1,099,777	1,049,601	674,852
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													726	810	357
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														185,463
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														7,697
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													275,039	193,160	341,968
Interest expense													766	(256)	64
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													(55,495)	(26,955)	(4,518)
Equity in income from subsidiaries													0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													220,310	165,949	337,514
Income tax benefit (expense)													(50,262)	(28,478)	(55,328)
NET INCOME													170,048	137,471	282,186
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Non-guarantor Subsidiaries All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													263,808	225,524	193,019
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													129,335	119,682	129,165
Selling and general expenses													2,729	3,106	3,331
Other operating expense (income), net													(14,127)	(14,043)	(15,388)
Costs and Expenses, Total													117,937	108,745	117,108
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													3,362	223	(3,183)
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														117,002
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														4,670
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													149,233	121,672	72,728
Interest expense													(1,474)	(133)	(4,631)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													55,574	19,627	4,981
Equity in income from subsidiaries													0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													203,333	141,166	73,078
Income tax benefit (expense)													0	0	0
NET INCOME													203,333	141,166	73,078
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													(149,256)	(144,545)	(40,915)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													(92,097)	(122,126)	(45,560)
Selling and general expenses													0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net													0	(45)	(1,600)
Costs and Expenses, Total													(92,097)	(122,171)	(47,160)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														(22,374)
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													(57,159)	(22,374)	6,245
Interest expense													0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													0	0	(65)
Equity in income from subsidiaries													(727,324)	(576,635)	(923,409)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													(784,483)	(599,009)	(917,229)
Income tax benefit (expense)													0	0	0
NET INCOME													(784,483)	(599,009)	(917,229)
Potential additional securities issued by parent [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													1,254,352	1,139,271	975,906
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													928,477	907,500	798,668
Selling and general expenses													51,564	53,477	49,971
Other operating expense (income), net													13,493	5,362	(204,029)
Costs and Expenses, Total													993,534	966,339	644,610
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														172,932
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													260,818	172,932	331,296
Interest expense													(49,922)	(50,330)	(47,810)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													(54,762)	(18,322)	(3,291)
Equity in income from subsidiaries													148,848	126,904	78,528
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													304,982	231,184	358,723
Income tax benefit (expense)													(29,598)	(13,598)	(46,182)
NET INCOME													275,384	217,586	312,541
Potential additional securities issued by parent [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													383,546	320,507	233,576
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													237,350	204,725	161,664
Selling and general expenses													14,977	13,625	12,662
Other operating expense (income), net													(17,322)	(15,836)	(15,543)
Costs and Expenses, Total													235,005	202,514	158,783
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													4,088	1,033	(2,826)
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														119,026
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														12,367
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													152,629	131,393	71,967
Interest expense													(1,474)	(133)	(4,631)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													55,613	19,637	5,166
Equity in income from subsidiaries													0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													206,768	150,897	72,502
Income tax benefit (expense)													(759)	(1,619)	(154)
NET INCOME													206,009	149,278	72,348
Potential additional securities issued by parent [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES													(149,256)	(144,545)	(40,915)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales													(92,095)	(122,126)	(45,560)
Selling and general expenses													0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net													0	(45)	(1,600)
Costs and Expenses, Total													(92,095)	(122,171)	(47,160)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture													0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE GAIN ON SALE OF A PORTION OF INTEREST IN THE NEW ZEALAND JOINT VENTURE														(22,374)
Gain on sale of a portion of interest in the New Zealand joint venture														0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME													(57,161)	(22,374)	6,245
Interest expense													0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net													0	0	(65)
Equity in income from subsidiaries													(424,232)	(344,490)	(391,069)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES													(481,393)	(366,864)	(384,889)
Income tax benefit (expense)													0	0	0
NET INCOME													$ (481,393)	$ (366,864)	$ (384,889)

[1] Fourth quarter 2011 included a pre-tax $6.5 million ($4.1 million after tax) increase in a disposition reserve.

[2] First quarter 2010 included a pre-tax $12.4 million ($11.5 million after tax) gain from the sale of a portion of the Company's interest in its New Zealand JV. See Note 5 — Joint Venture Investment for further information.

[3] Third quarter 2011 included a benefit of $16.0 million from the reversal of a reserve related to the taxability of the AFMC.

[4] Fourth quarter 2010 included a tax benefit of $24.3 million related to the CBPC. See Note 8 — Income Taxes.