Consolidating Financial Statements Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	$ 408,988	$ 385,091	$ 1,136,694	$ 1,100,218
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	278,651	266,184	794,519	786,467
Selling and general expenses	15,837	15,762	51,705	48,187
Other operating expense (income), net	1,392	(4,171)	(5,054)	(5,580)
Costs and Expenses, Total	295,880	277,775	841,170	829,074
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	66	994	250	3,817
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	113,174	108,310	295,774	274,961
Interest (expense) income	(8,253)	(12,356)	(36,133)	(38,300)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	234	331	294	935
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	105,155	96,285	259,935	237,596
Income tax (expense) benefit	(24,595)	8,624	(56,859)	(17,822)
NET INCOME	80,560	104,909	203,076	219,774	276,005
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	9,652	5,215	13,144	17,265
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	90,212	110,124	216,220	237,039
Parent Company [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	0	0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	0	0	0	0
Interest (expense) income	(3,136)	0	(7,502)	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,630	0	5,086	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	82,066	104,909	205,492	219,774
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	80,560	104,909	203,076	219,774
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	80,560	104,909	203,076	219,774
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	9,652	5,215	13,144	17,265
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	90,212	110,124	216,220	237,039
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Selling and general expenses	2,762	2,566	7,977	7,497
Other operating expense (income), net	730	45	742	130
Costs and Expenses, Total	3,492	2,611	8,719	7,627
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	(3,492)	(2,611)	(8,719)	(7,627)
Interest (expense) income	(196)	(440)	(646)	(831)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,594	1,332	4,580	3,972
Equity in income from subsidiaries	85,241	106,350	211,635	224,142
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	83,147	104,631	206,850	219,656
Income tax (expense) benefit	(1,081)	278	(1,358)	118
NET INCOME	82,066	104,909	205,492	219,774
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	9,652	5,215	13,144	17,265
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	91,718	110,124	218,636	237,039
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Issuer Subsidiary [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	0	0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	0	0	0	0
Interest (expense) income	(10,244)	(12,139)	(30,713)	(37,350)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(980)	(1,121)	(3,022)	(3,313)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	73,635	76,971	179,787	166,190
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	62,411	63,711	146,052	125,527
Income tax (expense) benefit	4,096	4,840	12,313	14,842
NET INCOME	66,507	68,551	158,365	140,369
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	328	15	1,128	524
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	66,835	68,566	159,493	140,893
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Non-guarantor Subsidiaries of Rayonier TRS Holdings Inc [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	381,400	342,937	1,062,065	1,002,015
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	266,987	254,969	764,886	750,375
Selling and general expenses	12,717	12,584	41,296	38,639
Other operating expense (income), net	2,335	(2,606)	1,517	(406)
Costs and Expenses, Total	282,039	264,947	807,699	788,608
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	169	200	507	561
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	99,530	78,190	254,873	213,968
Interest (expense) income	5,587	328	4,639	73
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(3,872)	(5,053)	(11,911)	(15,069)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	101,245	73,465	247,601	198,972
Income tax (expense) benefit	(27,610)	3,506	(67,814)	(32,782)
NET INCOME	73,635	76,971	179,787	166,190
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	328	15	1,128	524
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	73,963	76,986	180,915	166,714
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Non-guarantor Subsidiaries All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	43,720	61,463	125,475	147,884
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	28,282	32,376	81,816	90,630
Selling and general expenses	358	612	2,432	2,051
Other operating expense (income), net	(1,681)	(1,610)	(8,473)	(5,304)
Costs and Expenses, Total	26,959	31,378	75,775	87,377
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	(103)	794	(257)	3,256
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	16,658	30,879	49,443	63,763
Interest (expense) income	(264)	(105)	(1,911)	(192)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,862	5,173	5,561	15,345
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	18,256	35,947	53,093	78,916
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	18,256	35,947	53,093	78,916
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	6,143	3,090	2,719	10,919
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	24,399	39,037	55,812	89,835
Senior Exchangeable Notes due 2012 & 2015 [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	(16,132)	(19,309)	(50,846)	(49,681)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	(16,618)	(21,161)	(52,183)	(54,538)
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	8	0	1,160	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	(16,610)	(21,161)	(51,023)	(54,538)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	478	1,852	177	4,857
Interest (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	(240,942)	(288,230)	(596,914)	(610,106)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(240,464)	(286,378)	(596,737)	(605,249)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	(240,464)	(286,378)	(596,737)	(605,249)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	(16,451)	(8,335)	(18,119)	(29,232)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	(256,915)	(294,713)	(614,856)	(634,481)
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	353,967	318,523	981,902	909,051
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	242,773	232,447	694,308	665,806
Selling and general expenses	12,837	12,372	40,376	36,926
Other operating expense (income), net	2,054	(1,367)	473	487
Costs and Expenses, Total	257,664	243,452	735,157	703,219
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	96,303	75,071	246,745	205,832
Interest (expense) income	(4,853)	(12,250)	(26,720)	(38,108)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	(3,261)	(4,846)	(10,370)	(14,432)
Equity in income from subsidiaries	18,527	37,963	52,196	83,665
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	106,716	95,938	261,851	236,957
Income tax (expense) benefit	(24,650)	8,971	(56,359)	(17,183)
NET INCOME	82,066	104,909	205,492	219,774
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	9,652	5,215	13,144	17,265
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	91,718	110,124	218,636	237,039
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	71,153	85,878	205,638	240,848
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	52,496	54,900	152,394	175,199
Selling and general expenses	3,000	3,390	11,329	11,261
Other operating expense (income), net	(671)	(2,804)	(6,687)	(6,067)
Costs and Expenses, Total	54,825	55,486	157,036	180,393
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	66	994	250	3,817
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	16,394	31,386	48,852	64,272
Interest (expense) income	(264)	(106)	(1,911)	(192)
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	1,865	5,177	5,578	15,367
Equity in income from subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	17,995	36,457	52,519	79,447
Income tax (expense) benefit	55	(347)	(500)	(639)
NET INCOME	18,050	36,110	52,019	78,808
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	6,250	2,955	3,201	10,816
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	24,300	39,065	55,220	89,624
Senior Notes due 2022 at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Income Statement [Abstract]
SALES	(16,132)	(19,310)	(50,846)	(49,681)
Costs and Expenses
Cost of sales	(16,618)	(21,163)	(52,183)	(54,538)
Selling and general expenses	0	0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	9	0	1,160	0
Costs and Expenses, Total	(16,609)	(21,163)	(51,023)	(54,538)
Equity in income (loss) of New Zealand joint venture	0	0	0	0
OPERATING (LOSS) INCOME	477	1,853	177	4,857
Interest (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Interest and miscellaneous income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Equity in income from subsidiaries	(100,593)	(142,872)	(257,688)	(303,439)
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(100,116)	(141,019)	(257,511)	(298,582)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME	(100,116)	(141,019)	(257,511)	(298,582)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	(15,902)	(8,170)	(16,345)	(28,081)
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME	$ (116,018)	$ (149,189)	$ (273,856)	$ (326,663)