Incentive Stock Plans Non-Qualified Employee Stock Options (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	3 years
Expense recognition method	straight-line basis over three years
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 1.8
Weighted average period for recognition (years)	1 year
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]
Number of options outstanding at January 1,	2,346,451
Number of options granted	234,110
Number of options exercised	(960,662)
Number of options cancelled	(11,570)
Number of options outstanding at December 31,	1,608,329		2,346,451
Number of options vested and expected to vest	1,607,293
Number of options exercisable at December 31,	1,235,630
Weighted average exercise price of options outstanding at January 1,	$ 26.77
Weighted average exercise price of options granted	$ 44.42
Weighted average exercise price of options exercised	$ 26.23
Weighted average exercise price of options cancelled	$ 37.47
Weighted average exercise price of options outstanding at December 31,	$ 29.64		$ 26.77
Weighted average exercise price of options vested and expected to vest	$ 29.64
Weighted average exercise price of options exercisable at December 31,	$ 26.71
Weighted average remaining contractual term (years) of options outstanding at December 31,	6 years 2 months 12 days
Weighted average remaining contractual term (years) of options vested and expected to vest	6 years 2 months 12 days
Weighted average remaining contractual term (years) of options exercisable at December 31,	5 years 6 months
Aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding at December 31,	35.2
Aggregate intrinsic value of options vested and expected to vest	35.2
Aggregate intrinsic value of options exercisable at December 31,	30.4
Intrinsic value of options exercised	20.5	[1]	10.4	[1]	15.6	[1]
Fair value of options vested	$ 3.3		$ 2.5		$ 2.4
1994 Rayonier Incentive Stock Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Maximum term	10 years and two days from the grant date
Rayonier Incentive Stock Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Maximum term	10 years from the grant date

[1] Intrinsic value of options exercised is the amount by which the fair value of the stock on the exercise date exceeded the exercise price of the option.