CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 76,204	$ 51,777	$ 139,049	$ 161,558
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	27,497	20,222
Inventory	17,443	15,351
Prepaid expenses	12,890	12,654
Other current assets	1,177	5,681
Total current assets	135,211	105,685
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,063,691	2,066,780
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	66,618	65,450
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	6,835	6,742
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	59,782	71,281
TOTAL ASSETS	2,332,137	2,315,938
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	22,242	21,479
Current maturities of long-term debt	12,211	0
Accrued taxes	4,076	3,685
Accrued payroll and benefits	3,317	7,037
Accrued interest	7,373	6,153
Other current liabilities	19,089	21,103
Total current liabilities	68,308	59,457
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	857,429	830,554
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	34,313	34,137
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	36,307	30,050
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,256,444	1,288,084
Noncontrolling interest	79,336	73,656
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,335,780	1,361,740		1,575,151
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,332,137	2,315,938
Consolidating Adjustments
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	(3,652,190)	(3,534,086)
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(3,652,190)	(3,534,086)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	0	0
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(3,652,190)	(3,534,086)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(3,652,190)	(3,534,086)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(3,652,190)	(3,534,086)
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer)
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	8,773	2,472	77,738	102,218
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	8,773	2,472
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	1,286,575	1,321,681
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	34,272	34,567
OTHER ASSETS	3	3
TOTAL ASSETS	1,329,623	1,358,723
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	11	609
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	6,094	3,047
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	6,105	3,656
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	322,789	322,697
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(255,715)	(255,714)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,256,444	1,288,084
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,256,444	1,288,084
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,329,623	1,358,723
Subsidiary Guarantors
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	27,868	13,217	5,569	8,105
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	318	1,870
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses	463	443
Other current assets	245	4,876
Total current assets	28,894	20,406
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	339	330
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,365,615	2,212,405
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	(606,172)	(610,450)
OTHER ASSETS	19,007	18,718
TOTAL ASSETS	1,807,683	1,641,409
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	1,164	1,463
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accrued taxes	54	(10)
Accrued payroll and benefits	1,575	3,594
Accrued interest	973	666
Other current liabilities	439	262
Total current liabilities	4,205	5,975
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	469,008	280,978
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	34,997	34,822
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	31,859	16,914
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	(18,961)	(18,961)
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,286,575	1,321,681
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,286,575	1,321,681
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,807,683	1,641,409
Non- guarantors
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	39,563	36,088	$ 55,742	$ 51,235
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	27,179	18,352
Inventory	17,443	15,351
Prepaid expenses	12,427	12,211
Other current assets	932	805
Total current assets	97,544	82,807
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,063,691	2,066,780
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COSTS	66,618	65,450
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	6,496	6,412
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY NOTES RECEIVABLE	571,900	575,883
OTHER ASSETS	40,772	52,560
TOTAL ASSETS	2,847,021	2,849,892
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	21,067	19,407
Current maturities of long-term debt	12,211	0
Accrued taxes	4,022	3,695
Accrued payroll and benefits	1,742	3,443
Accrued interest	306	2,440
Other current liabilities	18,650	20,841
Total current liabilities	57,998	49,826
LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS	65,632	226,879
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(684)	(685)
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	4,448	13,136
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	274,676	274,675
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,365,615	2,212,405
Noncontrolling interest	79,336	73,656
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,444,951	2,286,061
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 2,847,021	$ 2,849,892