CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 68,735	$ 148,374
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	27,127	26,151
Inventory	14,518	15,703
Prepaid logging roads	12,128	11,976
Prepaid expenses	2,600	5,040
Other current assets	867	609
Total current assets	125,975	207,853
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,482,047	2,401,327
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 7)	81,791	85,609
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	22,251	22,751
RESTRICTED CASH	1,233	8,080
RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS	99,942	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	47,757	55,046
TOTAL ASSETS	2,860,996	2,780,666
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	18,160	18,019
Current maturities of long-term debt	82,000	0
Accrued taxes	3,032	3,178
Accrued payroll and benefits	8,869	10,416
Accrued interest	5,205	5,007
Deferred revenue	11,440	10,447
Other current liabilities	22,480	16,474
Total current liabilities	151,186	63,541
LONG-TERM DEBT	973,129	972,567
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	25,311	29,800
LONG-TERM LEASE LIABILITY (NOTE 4)	90,481	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	83,247	60,208
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,439,981	1,556,873
Noncontrolling interest	97,661	97,677
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,537,642	1,654,550	$ 1,692,940	$ 1,496,752
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,860,996	2,780,666
Consolidating Adjustments
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	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 INVESTMENTS (NOTE 7)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
RESTRICTED CASH	0	0
RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	(4,782,262)	(4,856,774)
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	0	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(4,782,262)	(4,856,774)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
LONG-TERM DEBT	0	0
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
LONG-TERM LEASE LIABILITY (NOTE 4)	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,782,262)	(4,856,774)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,782,262)	(4,856,774)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(4,782,262)	(4,856,774)
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	303	361
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0	0
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	303	361
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 7)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
RESTRICTED CASH	0	0
RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS	0
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	1,709,958	1,833,899
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	56,935	49,461
OTHER ASSETS	2	2
TOTAL ASSETS	1,767,198	1,883,723
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	0	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	0
Accrued taxes	0	0
Accrued payroll and benefits	0	0
Accrued interest	3,047	3,047
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	3,047	3,047
LONG-TERM DEBT	324,170	323,803
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	0	0
LONG-TERM LEASE LIABILITY (NOTE 4)	0
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,439,981	1,556,873
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,439,981	1,556,873
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,767,198	1,883,723
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	45,792	104,777
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	4,113	3,752
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid logging roads	0	0
Prepaid expenses	1,361	977
Other current assets	111	108
Total current assets	51,377	109,614
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	0	0
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 7)	0	0
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	16,568	16,940
RESTRICTED CASH	0	0
RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS	32,253
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	3,072,304	3,022,875
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	(643,960)	(638,424)
OTHER ASSETS	(67)	19,244
TOTAL ASSETS	2,528,475	2,530,249
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	2,866	1,616
Current maturities of long-term debt	82,000
Accrued taxes	59	8
Accrued payroll and benefits	5,585	5,848
Accrued interest	2,158	1,960
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other current liabilities	4,453	216
Total current liabilities	97,121	9,648
LONG-TERM DEBT	648,959	648,764
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	25,996	30,484
LONG-TERM LEASE LIABILITY (NOTE 4)	28,001
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	18,440	7,454
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,709,958	1,833,899
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,709,958	1,833,899
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,528,475	2,530,249
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	22,640	43,236
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	23,014	22,399
Inventory	14,518	15,703
Prepaid logging roads	12,128	11,976
Prepaid expenses	1,239	4,063
Other current assets	756	501
Total current assets	74,295	97,878
TIMBER AND TIMBERLANDS, NET OF DEPLETION AND AMORTIZATION	2,482,047	2,401,327
HIGHER AND BETTER USE TIMBERLANDS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS (NOTE 7)	81,791	85,609
NET PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT	5,683	5,811
RESTRICTED CASH	1,233	8,080
RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS	67,689
INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	587,025	588,963
OTHER ASSETS	47,822	35,800
TOTAL ASSETS	3,347,585	3,223,468
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	15,294	16,403
Current maturities of long-term debt	0
Accrued taxes	2,973	3,170
Accrued payroll and benefits	3,284	4,568
Accrued interest	0	0
Deferred revenue	11,440	10,447
Other current liabilities	18,027	16,258
Total current liabilities	51,018	50,846
LONG-TERM DEBT	0	0
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	(685)	(684)
LONG-TERM LEASE LIABILITY (NOTE 4)	62,480
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES	64,807	52,754
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLE	0
TOTAL RAYONIER INC. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	3,072,304	3,022,875
Noncontrolling interest	97,661	97,677
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	3,169,965	3,120,552
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$ 3,347,585	$ 3,223,468