CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 29,179	$ 70,917
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(17,176)	(14,122)
Real estate development investments	(1,727)	(1,677)
Purchase of timberlands	(24,122)	(12,349)
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands	115,666	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	2,070	2,337
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES	74,711	(25,811)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	20,000	0
Repayment of debt	(20,000)	0
Dividends paid	(34,907)	(34,877)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	66	597
Repurchase of common shares	0	(33)
Other	0	(16)
Repurchase of common shares made under repurchase program	(3,152)	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	(725)	(3,594)
Intercompany distributions	0	0
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(38,718)	(37,923)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	(2,303)	843
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	62,869	8,026
Balance, beginning of year	69,968	156,454
Balance, end of period	132,837	164,480
Consolidating Adjustments
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	0	0
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development investments	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(4,237)	(6,495)
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES	(4,237)	(6,495)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0
Repayment of debt	0
Dividends paid	0	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Other		0
Repurchase of common shares made under repurchase program	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	0	0
Intercompany distributions	4,237	6,495
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	4,237	6,495
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Balance, beginning of year	0	0
Balance, end of period	0	0
Rayonier Inc. (Parent Issuer) | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	79,682	(7,623)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development investments	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES	0	0
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0
Repayment of debt	0
Dividends paid	(34,841)	(34,858)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	66	597
Repurchase of common shares	0	(33)
Other		0
Repurchase of common shares made under repurchase program	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	0	0
Intercompany distributions	(39,108)	58,146
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(73,883)	23,852
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	5,799	16,229
Balance, beginning of year	303	361
Balance, end of period	6,102	16,590
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	16,257	(2,265)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	0
Real estate development investments	0	0
Purchase of timberlands	0	0
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands	0
Investment in subsidiaries	4,237	6,495
Other	0	0
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES	4,237	6,495
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	20,000
Repayment of debt	(20,000)
Dividends paid	(2,524)	(19)
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Other		0
Repurchase of common shares made under repurchase program	(3,152)
Distribution to minority shareholder	0	0
Intercompany distributions	46,872	(10,183)
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	41,196	(10,202)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	0	0
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	61,690	(5,972)
Balance, beginning of year	45,792	104,777
Balance, end of period	107,482	98,805
Non- guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
CASH (USED FOR) PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(66,760)	80,805
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	(17,176)	(14,122)
Real estate development investments	(1,727)	(1,677)
Purchase of timberlands	(24,122)	(12,349)
Net proceeds from large disposition of timberlands	115,666
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Other	2,070	2,337
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) INVESTING ACTIVITIES	74,711	(25,811)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Issuance of debt	0
Repayment of debt	0
Dividends paid	2,458	0
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares under incentive stock plan	0	0
Repurchase of common shares	0	0
Other		(16)
Repurchase of common shares made under repurchase program	0
Distribution to minority shareholder	(725)	(3,594)
Intercompany distributions	(12,001)	(54,458)
CASH USED FOR FINANCING ACTIVITIES	(10,268)	(58,068)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	(2,303)	843
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(4,620)	(2,231)
Balance, beginning of year	23,873	51,316
Balance, end of period	$ 19,253	$ 49,085